The Crystal River Pirates pushed their score all the way to 60 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They received a tough blow as they fell 75-60 to Dunnellon. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Crystal River in their matchups with Dunnellon: they've now lost three in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Crystal River lost, one person who can't be blamed is Zachary Hamilton. Despite the final result, he scored 21 points along with five assists and five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Hamilton has scored all season. Ej Jenkins was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Eli Nelson was his usual excellent self, scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds for Dunnellon. The team also got some help courtesy of Chris Henry, who scored eight points along with three steals.
Crystal River has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-11 record this season. As for Dunnellon, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-8.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Crystal River will square off against Hudson at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dunnellon won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Trinity Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd.
