The Mandarin Mustangs on the road again on Tuesday and play against the Bishop Kenny Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Hopefully Mandarin focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Thursday.
Mandarin fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Atlantic Coast but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Stingrays by a score of 56-53. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Mandarin has suffered yet this season.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ny'keria Thomas, who scored ten points along with six rebounds and five assists. Irvieona Gantt was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Mandarin struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kenny waltzed into their game on Saturday with four straight wins but they left with five. They strolled past San Jose Prep with points to spare, taking the game 56-41.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Bishop Kenny to victory, but perhaps none more so than Clare Coyle, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 14 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Talbert, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds.
Mandarin's defeat dropped their record down to 9-5. As for Bishop Kenny, their victory bumped their record up to 17-3.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Mandarin have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Bishop Kenny, though, as they've been averaging only 25 rebounds per game. Given Mandarin's sizeable advantage in that area, Bishop Kenny will need to find a way to close that gap.
Mandarin lost to Bishop Kenny on the road by a decisive 43-28 margin in their previous matchup back in December of 2022. Thankfully for Mandarin, Sophia Rueppell (who scored 19 points along with five steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
