The Lancaster Red Devils's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They took a serious blow against Essex, falling 49-8. While losing is never fun, Lancaster can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 375th, while Essex is ranked 134th).
Essex's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jaylah Mercer, who scored 24 points along with eight assists and seven steals. Mercer is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Morgan Self, who scored seven points along with 11 rebounds and seven steals.
Lancaster now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Essex, the victory for they keeps them at an undefeated 9-0.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lancaster will challenge Colonial Beach at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Colonial Beach is out to stop a three-game streak of losses at home. As for Essex, they will head out on the road to square off against Rappahannock at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
