The Alexander Cougars came tearing into Friday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on East Paulding with a sharp 71-47 victory. Given Alexander's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Raiders are ranked 283rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Alexander to victory were Braedan Lue and Gregory Dunson. Lue dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Dunson scored 13 points along with six assists and two steals. Jermaine Freeman was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with three steals.
Alexander's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.4 points per game. As for East Paulding, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-16 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Alexander will square off against the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for East Paulding, they will head out on the road to face off against the Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
