After a string of three wins, the Bethel Jaguars's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They took a 63-58 hit to the loss column at the hands of Augusta Christian. While losing is never fun, Bethel can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 422nd in California, while Augusta Christian is ranked 23rd in Georgia).
When it comes to explaining why Bethel lost, one person who can't be blamed is H. Howard. Despite the final result, he scored 23 points along with three steals. Howard hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. D. Stricklen was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with 16 rebounds and four blocks.
Bethel's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Augusta Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Bethel will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against De Anza at 7:00 p.m. on January 3rd. One thing working in De Anza's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last three contests. As for Augusta Christian, they will head out on the road to face off against Cardinal Newman at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Cardinal Newman and Augusta Christian are at an even 5-5 over their past ten head-to-heads.
