The Utica Chieftains put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 59-46 victory over Cousino. Given Utica's advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan basketball rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Patriots are ranked 416th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Utica's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mason Brodi, who scored 22 points. That makes it three consecutive games in which Brodi has scored at least a third of Utica's points. Another player making a difference was Luke Cottingham, who scored 15 points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Cousino lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Sam Hawk, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds. Justin Lifshay was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Utica's win was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-0. As for Cousino, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Utica is on the road again on Tuesday and plays the Shorians at 7:00 p.m. on January 30th. Lake Shore is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak. As for Cousino, they will head out on the road to challenge the Ramblers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
