The Ocean Springs Greyhounds came tearing into Saturday's game with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 59-47 victory over Escambia. Given Ocean Springs' advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 24th in Mississippi, while Escambia is ranked 426th in Florida), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Several Gators players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Joshua Jackson, who scored nine points along with nine rebounds. Those nine rebounds set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Tayshaun Gilcrist, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
Ocean Springs' victory was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.3 points per game. As for Escambia, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-11 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Ocean Springs will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Gulfport at 7:30 p.m. on January 9th. As for Escambia, they will head out on the road to face off against West Florida at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
