The Goleman Gators's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fourth straight loss. They took a 75-63 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mourning. That's two games in a row now that Goleman has lost by exactly 12 points.
Goleman's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Samuel Jimenez, who scored 12 points along with three steals, and Elijah Peters who scored ten points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Jimenez has scored all season. Marcelo Bautista was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Mourning's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Junior Decarde, who scored 22 points along with six rebounds. That's the first time this season that Decarde scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Alan Gomez, who scored 18 points.
Goleman's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 5-12. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points per game. As for Mourning, their victory bumped their record up to 3-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Goleman will take on North Miami at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Bradley Gregoire and Anthony Otero-Puriaman. As for Mourning, they will be playing at home against Central at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Central presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Mourning in Florida (Central is ranked 160th, while Mourning is ranked 663rd).
