The Blake Bengals had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They walked away with a 57-48 victory over Paint Branch. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Blake also won the last time the pair played back in February.
Paint Branch lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Ryan Tientcheu, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Those 13 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Jordan Horm, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Blake's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Paint Branch, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 11-1.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Blake will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Clarksburg at 7:15 p.m. on January 19, 2024. Paint Branch will finish 2023 at home by hosting Governor Thomas Johnson at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Maryland (Governor Thomas Johnson is ranked 49th, while Paint Branch is ranked 47th).
