Western Guilford was the 58-17 winner over Ben L. Smith when they last played one another back in February of 2021, but their luck changed this time around. The Hornets were dealt a 76-35 loss at the hands of the Golden Eagles on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Hornets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 282nd, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 103rd).
Western Guilford's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Taliyah Mccullen, who went 5-for-8 on her way to 13 points. Mccullen continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Uche Okeke was another key player, putting up four points and 12 boards.
Ben L. Smith was led to victory by Kalicia Deberry and Leanna Maffett. Deberry dropped a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Maffett shot 67% from the field to rack up 20 points. The matchup was Deberry's ninth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was London Haith, who went 5-for-11 en route to 12 points and three steals.
Western Guilford has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season. As for Ben L. Smith, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Western Guilford didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 59-13 loss against Grimsley on the 16th. As for Ben L. Smith, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 70-10 win against Salisbury on the 13th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
