The Challenger Firebirds lost against The Master's Academy Lions back in November, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. Challenger suffered a tough 53-27 defeat at the hands of The Master's Academy. While losing is never fun, Challenger can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 463rd, while The Master's Academy is ranked 202nd).
The Master's Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Faith Yelton led the charge by dropping a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds. The contest was Yelton's eighth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Macy Bumgarner, who scored ten points along with eight steals and six rebounds.
Challenger's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for The Master's Academy, they pushed their record up to 7-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season.
Challenger will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Pinnacle Classical Academy on January 10, 2024. The Master's Academy will take on Lake Lure Classical Academy in a holiday battle at 3:00 p.m. on Monday at.
