The Oakleaf Knights's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They were beaten by Creekside 46-19. While losing is never fun, Oakleaf can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 266th, while Creekside is ranked 123rd).
Oakleaf's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Armaany Mullins, who scored four points along with four steals.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Oakleaf struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Creekside posted ten assists.
Creekside found their leader in underclassman Presley Brinkley, who scored 15 points along with four steals. That's the first time this season that Brinkley scored 15 or more points. Cami Waters was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.
Oakleaf has not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-16 record this season. As for Creekside, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 8-7.
Oakleaf will head out on the road to take on Bradford at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Bradford's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Oakleaf has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road. As for Creekside, Creekside and Nease will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 25th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday.
