After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Sarasota, the IMG Academy Blue Ascenders were happy to have found some success on Monday. They managed a 57-52 victory over Seminole. The score was all tied up 26-26 at the break, but IMG Academy Blue was the better team in the second half.
Despite the loss, Seminole still got an impressive performance from Laney Pearson, who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 33 points and 1 assist. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Pearson has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Devon Swartz, who scored nine points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
IMG Academy Blue's victory bumped their record up to 3-5. As for Seminole, their loss was their fourth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 8-11.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. IMG Academy Blue will square off against Port Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Port Charlotte presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than IMG Academy Blue in Florida (Port Charlotte is ranked 136th, while IMG Academy Blue is ranked 285th). Seminole won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Indian Rocks Christian at 6:00 p.m. on January 16th. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Malia Stevens and Pearson.
