Basketball Recap: Columbia Takes a Loss

Columbia came up into this matchup off a tough 25-point loss last Tuesday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of the Hobgood Charter Raiders by a score of 53-51 on Friday. The Wildcats lost against the Raiders in their previous head to head back in February of 2024, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 71-34 score last time.

Despite the loss, Columbia still got an impressive performance from Jayden Sawyer, who went 11 for 18 en route to 29 points and eight rebounds. The match was Sawyer's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Evan McQuigg was another key player, putting up eight points.

Even though they lost, Columbia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive games.

Hobgood Charter's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Hudson Roberson led the charge by earning 20 points along with five boards and five steals. Roberson is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Khrie Rascoe, who went 5 of 12 on his way to 12 points and five steals.

Columbia dropped their record down to 2-11 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home. As for Hobgood Charter, their win bumped their record up to 5-6.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Columbia will host Mattamuskeet at 7:30 p.m. on January 24th. Hobgood Charter has already played their next contest (against Bear Grass Charter), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.