The LaBelle Cowboys/Cowgirls were the 44-29 winner over the Lely Trojans when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. LaBelle took a 53-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of Lely. LaBelle has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
When it comes to explaining why LaBelle lost on Tuesday, one person who can't be blamed is Marissa Burchard. Despite the final result, she scored 22 points along with four steals. Burchard hasn't dropped below two steals for seven straight games. Aariah Johnson was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Lely's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Sofiia Kiritsa, who scored 16 points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Kaleah Estrada, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
LaBelle's loss dropped their record down to 9-6. As for Lely, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 9-8.
LaBelle will head out on the road to challenge Clewiston at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Clewiston is on a five-game streak of home wins, LaBelle a four-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court. As for Lely, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Bonita Springs at 6:00 p.m. on January 17th. Bonita Springs is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
