The Hickory Grove Christian Lions pushed their score all the way to 57 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of Heathwood Hall Episcopal by a score of 59-57. While losing is never fun, Hickory Grove Christian can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 398th in North Carolina, while Heathwood Hall Episcopal is ranked 166th in South Carolina).
Several Lions players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Kevin Powell, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Nelson, who scored 13 points.
Heathwood Hall Episcopal was led to victory by Deuce Claxton and Henry Morris. Claxton scored ten points along with three steals, while Morris scored 14 points along with eight rebounds. Xander Pertile was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Hickory Grove Christian has not been sharp recently as the team has lost 15 of their last 16 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-21 record this season. As for Heathwood Hall Episcopal, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-14.
Hickory Grove Christian will be playing in front of their home fans against Liberty Preparatory Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hickory Grove Christian is coming into the matchup with seven straight losses at home, meaning Liberty Preparatory Christian will have to defend against a squad hungry for a victory. As for Heathwood Hall Episcopal, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Trinity Collegiate at 5:00 p.m. on February 6th. Trinity Collegiate is coming into the match with three straight losses on the road, meaning Heathwood Hall Episcopal will have to defend against a team hungry for a win.
