While the Avella Eagles couldn't quite beat the Jefferson-Morgan Rockets on Tuesday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 22-point defeat they were dealt last Tuesday. Avella fell just short of Jefferson-Morgan by a score of 55-53. Avella was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Jefferson-Morgan apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2023.
When it comes to explaining why Avella lost, one person who can't be blamed is Rylan Bell. Despite the final result, he scored 16 points along with five rebounds. That's the first time this season that Bell scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Bryce Wright, who scored 14 points.
Dayten Marion was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 15 rebounds for Jefferson-Morgan. Marion is absolutely dominating the block category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of John Woodward, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Avella dropped their record down to 8-9 with that defeat, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Jefferson-Morgan, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-6.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Avella's road trip will continue as they head out to face Western Beaver at 7:30 p.m. on January 26th. As for Jefferson-Morgan, they will square off against Mapletown at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
