The Lowndes Vikings's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Valdosta by a score of 50-47. While losing is never fun, Lowndes can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 279th, while Valdosta is ranked 54th).
When it comes to explaining why Lowndes lost, one person who can't be blamed is Kam Jackson. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 46.8% of Lowndes' points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of TJ Thomas, who scored eight points.
Valdosta's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Israel Jenrette led the charge by scoring 12 points along with nine rebounds and four blocks. Jenrette hasn't dropped below two blocks for six straight games. Another player making a difference was Jabarri Williams, who scored 13 points along with nine assists.
Lowndes' defeat dropped their record down to 7-11. As for Valdosta, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 18-5.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Lowndes will take on Richmond Hill at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Valdosta, Valdosta and Colquitt County will face off at 7:30 p.m. on February 2nd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday.
