After a string of three wins, the Heath Bulldogs's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They took a 58-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of Utica. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Heath came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 214th, while Utica is ranked 578th).
Heath's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Preston Devito, who scored 17 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Devito has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Mason, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and three blocks.
Heath's defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-4. As for Utica, their victory bumped their record up to 5-9.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Heath will challenge Licking Heights at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Licking Heights has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Utica, they will head out on the road to challenge Granville at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Granville will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
