The School Without Walls Penguins were the 56-53 winner over the Model Secondary School for the Deaf Eagles when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. School Without Walls fell just short of Model Secondary School for the Deaf by a score of 37-34. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as School Without Walls came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' District of Columbia basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while Model Secondary School for the Deaf is ranked 158th).
School Without Walls lost on Friday despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Paul Joire, who scored seven points along with 11 rebounds and three steals. Joire hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellington Hunt, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds.
It was another big night for Luke Florio, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and three steals for Model Secondary School for the Deaf. Pax Holcomb was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with five rebounds.
School Without Walls has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-7 record this season. As for Model Secondary School for the Deaf, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-7.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. School Without Walls will take on Bell at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Bell is no doubt hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses. As for Model Secondary School for the Deaf, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Leonardtown at 7:00 p.m. on January 29th.
