The Inlet Grove Hurricanes pushed their score all the way to 61 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 71-61 hit to the loss column at the hands of Suncoast. Inlet Grove has not had much luck with Suncoast recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Inlet Grove saw an underclassman step up: Robert Brown scored 23 points along with five rebounds and two blocks. That's the first time this season that Brown posted two or more blocks. Another player making a difference was Ty?Rique Alty, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Inlet Grove struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
It was another big night for Ian Smikle, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 23 rebounds for Suncoast. Smikle has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last eight times he's played. Jonathan Merci was another key contributor, scoring six points along with two steals.
Inlet Grove dropped their record down to 11-10 with that defeat, which was their third straight at home. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.7 points per game. As for Suncoast, their win bumped their record up to 12-10.
Coincidentally, Inlet Grove and Suncoast will both be playing Treasure Coast the next time they take the court. Inlet Grove will head out to face Treasure Coast at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, while Suncoast will host them at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
