The Champion Golden Flashes pushed their score all the way to 61 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 73-61 to Garfield. Champion has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Champion saw an underclassman step up: Marky Nolan went 8 for 14 from beyond the arc en route to 30 points and 0 assists. That was a full 49.2% of Champion's points, marking the sixth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Ian Orwig was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Champion were working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Garfield's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Preston Gedeon led the charge by scoring 31 points along with five rebounds and two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gedeon has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Cade Rock, who scored ten points along with eight rebounds and seven blocks.
Champion's loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-9. As for Garfield, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-10.
Champion will face off against LaBrae at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. LaBrae presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Champion in Ohio (LaBrae is ranked 139th, while Champion is ranked 673rd). As for Garfield, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Memorial at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Memorial is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road.
