While it was all tied up 32-32 at halftime, the Belfry Pirates were not quite the East Ridge Warriors's equal in the second half on Friday. Belfry fell to East Ridge 69-65. Belfry's defeat continues a unfortunate trend for the squad, making it four in a row.
Despite the defeat, Belfry saw an underclassman step up: Zade Rash scored 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Those five rebounds set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Makaden Maynard, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.
Belfry has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season. As for East Ridge, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Belfry will take on Man at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for East Ridge, they will be playing at home against Pikeville at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Pikeville presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than East Ridge in Kentucky (Pikeville is ranked 95th, while East Ridge is ranked 227th).