The Islands Sharks suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Tuesday. They were beaten by New Hampstead 82-49. While losing is never fun, Islands can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 353rd, while New Hampstead is ranked 85th).
Despite the defeat, Islands saw an underclassman step up: Spencer Shipley scored 12 points. Braylen Butterworth was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds.
Islands bumped their record down to 6-8 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for New Hampstead, the win (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 13-5.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Islands on the road again on Friday and play against Burke County at 8:30 p.m. on January 19th. Burke County knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five matchups -- so hopefully Islands likes a good challenge. As for New Hampstead, they will head out on the road to challenge Benedictine at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Benedictine will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
