Basketball Recap: Lakeland Christian Drops Highest Score of Season Against Vanguard

Lakeland Christian scored the most points they've had this season on Friday, but it wasn't enough. They took an 80-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Vanguard Panthers. The Vikings just can't catch a break and have now endured nine defeats in a row.

Several Vikings players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was DJ Howard, who went 9 for 22 on his way to 25 points and eight rebounds. The contest was Howard's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Joseph Donohue, who went 8 of 15 on his way to 17 points in addition to five boards and four steals.

Even though they lost, Lakeland Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.

Vanguard's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Turral Berry, who posted 26 points along with five assists and five boards. Berry has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times he's played. Jakhai Ford was another key player, dropping a double-double on 19 points and 11 boards.

Lakeland Christian's loss dropped their record down to 1-11. As for Vanguard, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-8.

After both having extra time off, Lakeland Christian and Carrollwood Day will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 6:00 p.m. on January 6th. Carrollwood Day is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.9 points per game this season. As for Vanguard, they will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Excel Christian Academy at 7:30 p.m. on January 10th. Vanguard knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past nine games -- so hopefully Excel Christian Academy likes a good challenge.