After losing to the Mater Dei Knights the last time they met, the Red Bay Tigers decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. It was close, but on ThursdayRed Bay capped 2023 with a 55-52 win over Mater Dei. Given Red Bay's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 88th in Alabama, while Mater Dei is ranked 206th in Illinois), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Several Knights players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Drake Wagner, who scored 14 points along with five steals. Nick Lampe was another key contributor, scoring 15 points.
The victory makes it two in a row for Red Bay and bumps their season record up to 10-4. As for Mater Dei, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-8.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Red Bay will take on Lamar County at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Mater Dei won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Orchard Farm at 5:30 p.m. on December 29th.
