The Pace Patriots's seven-game losing streak came to an end on Thursday. They rang in the new year with a 53-46 victory over Niceville. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Pace also won the last time the pair played back in December of 2022.
Pace can attribute much of their success to Hayden Bowman, who scored 20 points. Bowman continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Tylon Lee was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Niceville lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jackson Kowal. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The match was Kowal's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jordan Bryant, who scored six points.
Pace's victory bumped their record up to 3-11. As for Niceville, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-8.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pace won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Crestview at 7:00 p.m. on January 5th. Crestview presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Pace in Florida (Crestview is ranked 247th, while Pace is ranked 629th). Niceville won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Mosley at 7:00 p.m. on January 5th. Mosley is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road.
