The Norland Vikings suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Friday. They were outmatched by Lakewood on the road and fell 71-39. Norland was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Lakewood apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in January of 2020.
When it comes to explaining why Norland lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jasmine Johnson. Despite the final result, she scored 19 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. That was a full 48.7% of Norland's points, marking the sixth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Shania Swan, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Lakewood to victory, but perhaps none more so than Sumayah McIntosh, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and six steals. McIntosh is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Savannah Ferguson was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Norland bumped their record down to 5-11 with that defeat, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Lakewood, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season.
Norland on the road again on Saturday and play against Clearwater at 12:30 p.m. on January 13th. As for Lakewood, their homestand continues as they prepare to take on Plant at 2:00 p.m. on January 13th. That game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Azzariah Styles and McIntosh.
