The Westover Patriots's game on Friday was all tied up 17-17 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell to Valdosta 41-35. While losing is never fun, Westover can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 231st, while Valdosta is ranked 65th).
Despite the loss, Westover still got an impressive performance from Jada Landers, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Landers scored a full 51.4% of Westover's points, the eighth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Wykieria Holmes was another key contributor, scoring four points along with five rebounds and five steals.
Westover struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Westover's defeat was their third straight at home, which bumped their record down to 2-6. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 27.7 points per game. As for Valdosta, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 8-1.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Westover will square off against Lee County at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lee County is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'. Valdosta won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Tift County at 6:00 p.m. on December 16th. Tift County is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling.
