The Southern Nash Firebirds's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their seventh straight loss. They fell 66-57 to Franklinton. Southern Nash has struggled against Franklinton recently, as their matchup on Tuesday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the defeat, Southern Nash saw an underclassman step up: James Viclk scored 11 points along with nine rebounds. That's the first time this season that Viclk pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was George Richardson, who scored nine points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Southern Nash smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Franklinton only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
It was another big night for Markelle Massenburg, who scored 20 points along with six rebounds and two steals for Franklinton. Darius Slankard was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with two steals.
Southern Nash has not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last ten matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-9 record this season. As for Franklinton, their victory ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-10.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Southern Nash will take on Nash Central at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Nash Central focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 18 on Tuesday. As for Franklinton, they will head out on the road to face off against Roanoke Rapids at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Roanoke Rapids will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive.
