The Leadership Academy Falcons's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They took a 52-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of Asheboro. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Leadership Academy came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 224th, while Asheboro is ranked 498th).
When it comes to explaining why Leadership Academy lost, one person who can't be blamed is Emmy Guldberg. Despite the final result, she scored 23 points along with eight rebounds and seven steals. Those 23 points set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Swigert, who scored 12 points.
It was another big night for Sion Murrain, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 14 rebounds for Asheboro. Murrain has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ellen Long, who scored ten points.
Leadership Academy's defeat was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 5-3. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 29.7 points per game. As for Asheboro, their win bumped their record up to 2-9.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Leadership Academy won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Trinity at 10:00 a.m. on December 29, 2023. Trinity is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'. Asheboro won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Randleman at 1:00 p.m. on December 29, 2023.
