The Vanguard Knights won the last time they faced the North Marion Colts, and things went their way on Friday too. Vanguard snuck past North Marion with a 58-53 victory. Given Vanguard's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 157th, while North Marion is ranked 363rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Vanguard got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Cameron Powell out in front who scored 15 points along with five assists and five rebounds. Powell continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jandrian Smith, who scored 15 points.
North Marion's loss came despite strong showings from Jerdarrius Jackson and Coy Sizemore. Jackson scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and three steals, while Sizemore scored 17 points along with three steals. The contest was Sizemore's seventh in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ja'hmier Jackson, who scored six points.
The victory makes it two in a row for Vanguard and bumps their season record up to 8-4. As for North Marion, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-6.
Vanguard won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Winter Springs at 12:30 p.m. on January 6th. Winter Springs is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road. As for North Marion, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Lake Weir at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
