It was a good run, but the Altamonte Christian Eagles unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of Ocoee by a score of 70-68. While losing is never fun, Altamonte Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 221st, while the Knights are ranked 77th).
When it comes to explaining why Altamonte Christian lost, one person who can't be blamed is Ryan Almeda. Despite the final result, he scored 25 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Almeda continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Ashton Billings was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Altamonte Christian struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Ocoee posted 13 assists.
Ocoee's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brenden Shaw, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time this season that Shaw pulled down eight or more rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Rylan Jean-Baptiste, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds.
Altamonte Christian's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-9. As for Ocoee, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Altamonte Christian won't have much time to rest: their next match is against the Lions at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. The Rock knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past seven games -- so hopefully the Eagles like a good challenge. As for Ocoee, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. West Orange is coming into the match on a five-game losing streak.
