Batesburg-Leesville proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 20) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged the American Leadership Academy Patriots out 55-52. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now won three in a row.
Batesburg-Leesville's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ta'Maj Gilliam, who posted 18 points and five steals. Gilliam has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Braylen Davis, who put up 17 points and six boards.
Batesburg-Leesville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.
Despite the loss, American Leadership Academy still got an impressive performance from Payton Miles, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 12 rebounds. Those 23 points gave Miles a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryce Newton, who had ten points.
Panthers
| 02/07/25 vs American Leadership Academy | 55-52 |
| 01/31/25 vs Strom Thurmond | 46-34 |
| 01/24/25 vs Pelion | 57-48 |
| 01/17/25 vs Ninety Six | 43-41 |
| 01/07/25 vs Columbia | 46-42 |
| + 2 more games |
Batesburg-Leesville's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-7. As for American Leadership Academy, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-17.
We've got a battle between Panthers coming up. Batesburg-Leesville is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 51.1 points per game this season. As for American Leadership Academy, they will square off against Ninety Six at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
