If the Lumberton Pirates were feeling good off their 70-22 takedown of the Douglas Byrd Eagles last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Lumberton took a 61-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of Seventy-First on Friday. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Lumberton in their matchups with Seventy-First: they've now lost five in a row.
Despite the defeat, Lumberton had strong showings from Dimetrious Jones, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Jaiden Shephard, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. Shephard is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Christopher Hammonds was another key contributor, scoring four points along with five rebounds.
Seventy-First's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jacquez Foster, who scored seven points along with six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Xavier McBryde, who scored six points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Lumberton's defeat dropped their record down to 7-7. As for Seventy-First, the win was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-1.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lumberton will challenge Purnell Swett at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing isn't great for Purnell Swett: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while Lumberton has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road. Seventy-First on the road again on Tuesday and play against Douglas Byrd at 7:30 p.m. on January 23rd. Douglas Byrd comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
