If the Mandarin Mustangs were feeling good off their 63-28 takedown of the Bartram Trail Bears on Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Mandarin took a 52-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ridgeview on Thursday. Mandarin lost against Ridgeview in their previous head to head last Tuesday, too, but the margin this time around was much wider than the 54-39 score last time.
When it comes to explaining why Mandarin lost, one person who can't be blamed is Nykeria Thomas. Despite the final result, she scored 15 points along with six rebounds and six steals. Thomas has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Another player making a difference was Mia Chandler, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and four steals.
Ridgeview's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emma Rayes, who scored 12 points along with five steals. Those 12 points set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Nacoya Blocton, who scored 12 points.
Mandarin's loss dropped their record down to 7-3. As for Ridgeview, their win was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-3.
Mandarin will head out on the road to face off against Fleming Island at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Fleming Island will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Florida Rankings (they are ranked 340th, while Mandarin is ranked 81st). Ridgeview won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Trinity Catholic at 11:30 a.m. on December 22nd. Trinity Catholic knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past six games -- so hopefully Ridgeview likes a good challenge.
