The Northern Nash Knights's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They took a 73-60 hit to the loss column at the hands of Clayton. While losing is never fun, Northern Nash can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 169th, while Clayton is ranked 44th).
Northern Nash's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Izeal Mallory II, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds, and CJ Rosser who scored 13 points along with six rebounds. Demondre Haymon was another key contributor, scoring nine points.
Even though they lost, Northern Nash were working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Leading Clayton to victory were Justice Mitchell and Andrew Grimes. Mitchell scored 24 points along with six rebounds, while Grimes scored 20 points along with eight rebounds and six blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Qua'shaun Williams, who scored six points along with six assists and three steals.
Northern Nash has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season. As for Clayton, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 9-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Northern Nash's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Franklinton at 7:30 p.m. on January 10th. Franklinton is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 54.9 points per game. As for Clayton, Clayton and Southeast Raleigh will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 10th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Southeast Raleigh has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 447 points over their last seven matches.
