The Lamar Raiders were the 66-42 winner over the East Rankin Academy Patriots when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Lamar lost to East Rankin Academy at home by a decisive 53-34 margin on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, Lamar can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 97th, while East Rankin Academy is ranked 14th).
When it comes to explaining why Lamar lost, one person who can't be blamed is Aryah Grace. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. Grace scored a full 44.1% of Lamar's points, the 11th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Charlee Castle was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with three steals.
Lamar bumped their record down to 7-10 with that defeat, which was their third straight at home. As for East Rankin Academy, the victory was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 24-4.
Lamar will head out on the road to face off against Park Place Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Park Place Christian Academy is coming into the match on a six-game losing streak. As for East Rankin Academy, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against Wayne Academy at 6:00 p.m.
