After flying high against Emerson Waldorf last Tuesday, Excelsior Classical Academy came back down to earth. The Excelsior Classical Academy Flying Lions came up short against the Graham Red Devils on Friday, falling 82-59. The loss was the Flying Lions' first of the season.
When it comes to explaining why Excelsior Classical Academy lost, don't look at Shawn Francis-Service. Despite the final result, he earned 26 points plus six rebounds and five steals. Francis-Service's evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jason Maldonado, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Excelsior Classical Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 28 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in December of 2023.
Graham got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Micah Woods out in front who had 41 points in addition to six steals and two blocks. Woods has been hot for a while, having posted 15 or more points the last 11 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Ladario Johnson, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 21 rebounds.
Excelsior Classical Academy's loss was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 2-1. As for Graham, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 2-0.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Excelsior Classical Academy will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Graham at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Graham, they will square off against Roxboro Community at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
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