The Lakewood Ranch Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 77-67 to Braden River. Lakewood Ranch has not had much luck with Braden River recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Lakewood Ranch lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being David Young, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 12 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Young has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Allen, who scored 17 points.
Even though they lost, Lakewood Ranch were working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Braden River's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Marcus Schade, who scored 23 points along with three steals. Schade is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Isaac Heaven was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with nine rebounds and four steals.
Lakewood Ranch has not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-9 record this season. As for Braden River, they have been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lakewood Ranch will challenge Wiregrass Ranch at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Wiregrass Ranch's favor is that they have posted big point totals every time they've taken the court this season. Braden River on the road again on Thursday and play against Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th. Charlotte will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive.
