Even though the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs scored an imposing 67 points on Monday, the Braden River Pirates still came out on top. Braden River took their match against Lakewood Ranch 77-67. Given Braden River's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 154th, while Lakewood Ranch is ranked 400th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Braden River got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Marcus Schade out in front who scored 23 points along with three steals. Schade is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Isaac Heaven was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with nine rebounds and four steals.
Lakewood Ranch's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was David Young, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 12 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Young has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Allen, who scored 17 points.
Even though they lost, Lakewood Ranch were working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Braden River is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. As for Lakewood Ranch, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-9.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Braden River's road trip will continue as they head out to face Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th. Charlotte will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive. As for Lakewood Ranch, they will head out on the road to take on Wiregrass Ranch at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Wiregrass Ranch knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past 16 contests -- so hopefully Lakewood Ranch likes a good challenge.
