Even though the SA Roosevelt Rough Riders have not done well against the Clark Cougars recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. SA Roosevelt narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Clark 68-65. The victory was all the more spectacular given SA Roosevelt's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 535th, while Clark is ranked 227th).
SA Roosevelt can attribute much of their success to Ethan Liserio, who scored 20 points along with five assists and two steals. That's the first time this season that Liserio scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Randy Marshall, who scored 16 points.
Despite the loss, Clark had strong showings from Jaden Flemons, who scored 16 points along with three steals, and Luke Lopez, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that Lopez scored 15 or more points. Aiden Bolden was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with two steals.
The win makes it two in a row for SA Roosevelt and bumps their season record up to 9-15. As for Clark, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 13-10.
SA Roosevelt will head out on the road to take on Reagan at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Reagan is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 52 points per game. As for Clark, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Brandeis at 7:30 p.m. Brandeis has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
