Paulding County was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were five points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 66-61 heartbreaker at the hands of the Hillgrove Hawks. While losing is never fun, the Patriots can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Hawks are ranked 37th).
Paulding County's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jerron Wilson, who posted 20 points. Wilson's evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Keen-Yean James, who had 16 points.
Patriots
| 01/31/25 @ Hillgrove | 61-66 |
| 01/28/25 @ South Cobb | 54-57 |
| 01/24/25 vs Pebblebrook | 45-55 |
Even though they lost, Paulding County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 23 consecutive matches.
Hillgrove was led to victory by Evan Mott and Asa Montgomery. Mott dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 boards, while Montgomery went 5 of 8 on his way to 14 points in addition to eight rebounds and five blocks. Those five blocks gave Montgomery a new career-high. Bryson Jatta was another key player, going 5 for 12 en route to 13 points and seven boards.
Paulding County's record is now 12-11. As for Hillgrove, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 17-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Paulding County will welcome Campbell at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Paulding County is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 62.9 points per game this season. As for Hillgrove, it'll be a Battle of the Birds when the Hillgrove Hawks face off against the South Cobb Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in South Cobb's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last three contests.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
