The Haines City Hornets's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their fourth straight loss. They took a 62-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of McKeel Academy. While losing is never fun, Haines City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 586th, while McKeel Academy is ranked 211th).
When it comes to explaining why Haines City lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jorge Ramirez. Despite the final result, he scored 21 points. Ramirez continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ixion Toro, who scored five points along with three blocks.
Alex Sessoms continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for McKeel Academy, scoring 18 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds. Sessoms hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. Jamal Whyte was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with three steals.
Haines City has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-14 record this season. As for McKeel Academy, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-4.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Haines City won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Avon Park at 8:00 p.m. on January 16th. Avon Park knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matches -- so hopefully Haines City likes a good challenge. McKeel Academy won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Sebring at 8:00 p.m. on January 16th. Sebring is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 67.8 points per game.
