Even though the Green Hope Falcons scored an imposing 58 points on Thursday, the Sanderson Spartans still came out on top. Sanderson wrapped up 2023 with a 75-58 win over Green Hope. Given Sanderson's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 129th, while Green Hope is ranked 527th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Nathan Fife was his usual excellent self, scoring 29 points. The contest was his seventh in a row with at least ten points. Gordie Balas was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with seven rebounds.
Despite the loss, Green Hope still got an impressive performance from Michael Joof, who scored 15 points. Those 15 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Grayson Cuffe, who scored 13 points.
The win makes it two in a row for Sanderson and bumps their season record up to 5-4. As for Green Hope, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-8.
Sanderson won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Durham Academy at 7:00 p.m. on December 29, 2023. Durham Academy is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road. Green Hope won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Wake Forest at 12:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023. Wake Forest comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
