Even though the Magna Vista Warriors scored an imposing 67 points on Wednesday, the Morehead Panthers still came out on top. Morehead rang in the new year with a 78-67 win over Magna Vista. Given Morehead's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 155th in North Carolina, while Magna Vista is ranked 343rd in Virginia), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Makel Smith was his usual excellent self, scoring 34 points along with six rebounds and five assists. That makes it seven consecutive games in which he has scored at least 25% of Morehead's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Chandler, who scored ten points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Morehead's win bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Magna Vista, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Morehead's homestand continues as they prepare to take on West Stokes at 7:30 p.m. on January 5th. West Stokes is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games. As for Magna Vista, they will be playing at home against Mecklenburg County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mecklenburg County is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.
