After a string of five wins, the Gilmer Buckeyes's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 55-44 defeat to Center. Gilmer was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Center apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2023.
Center's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lanaijha Johnson, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 13 rebounds. The matchup was Johnson's 15th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Journee Smith, who scored 18 points along with four steals.
Gilmer's loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 8-8. As for Center, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season.
Gilmer will head out on the road to face off against Chapel Hill at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Center, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Henderson at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Texas (Henderson is ranked 460th, while Center is ranked 445th).
