It was a good run, but the Blackford Bruins unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of Mississinewa by a score of 53-50. The match was a 27-27 toss-up at halftime, but Blackford was outscored by Mississinewa in the second.
When it comes to explaining why Blackford lost, one person who can't be blamed is Gage Baker. Despite the final result, he scored 23 points along with two steals and two blocks. Baker continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Vince Oxley, who scored four points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Kobe Johnson was his usual excellent self, scoring ten points along with eight rebounds and three steals for Mississinewa. Jaxson Ott was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Blackford's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 8-5. As for Mississinewa, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Blackford won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Winchester Community at 7:30 p.m. on January 13th. As for Mississinewa, they will be playing at home against Wabash at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Indiana (Wabash is ranked 154th, while Mississinewa is ranked 144th).
