Even though the Long Reach Lightning have not done well against the Atholton Raiders recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Long Reach walked away with a 64-54 victory over Atholton. Given Long Reach's advantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked 27th, while Atholton is ranked 98th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jayden Saunders was his usual excellent self, scoring 28 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. The match was his 11th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Junior Nunez, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Amir Shaheed and Deion Dent certainly did their best on Friday to try and avoid the loss. Shaheed scored 17 points, while Dent scored 13 points along with five assists. The contest was Shaheed's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Bryce Inabinet was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Long Reach pushed their record up to 10-1 with that win, which was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Atholton, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Long Reach will take on Oakland Mills at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Atholton, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Parkville at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Parkville will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
