After a string of seven wins, the McDowell Titans's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They took a 61-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of East Burke. While losing is never fun, McDowell can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 105th, while East Burke is ranked 18th).
McDowell's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Abby Wyatt, who scored eight points. Sage Young was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Leading East Burke to victory were Braelyn Stilwell and Kara Brinkley. Stilwell scored 21 points along with nine rebounds and seven steals, while Brinkley dropped a double-double on 27 points and 11 rebounds. The game was Stilwell's tenth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ally Moore, who scored eight points.
McDowell's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 8-2. As for East Burke, they pushed their record up to 10-0 with that win, which was their 18th straight on the road dating back to last season.
McDowell and T.C. Roberson will face off at 6:30 p.m. on January 3, 2024 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. East Burke and Bandys will face off at 6:30 p.m. on January 5, 2024 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Hopefully Bandys focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 23 on Friday.
