After three games on the road, Blake is heading back home. The Blake Yellow Jackets and the East Bay Indians will face off at 8:00 p.m. on January 22nd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Hopefully Blake is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than East Bay in Florida (Blake is ranked 59th, while East Bay is ranked 507th).
Last Wednesday, Blake ended up a good deal behind Leto and lost 70-52.
Despite the defeat, Blake saw an underclassman step up: Joe Philon dropped a double-double on 21 points and 15 rebounds. Philon is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Kentrell Martin, who scored nine points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
East Bay only won by three when they last took the court, which might have inspired the 22-point they dealt Riverview on Wednesday. East Bay blew past Riverview 63-41. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory East Bay has posted yet this season.
Amare Baran was the offensive standout of the contest as he scored 12 points along with six assists and six rebounds. Curry Staples was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Blake's loss ended a eight-game streak of away wins and brought them to 15-3. As for East Bay, they pushed their record up to 7-9 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home.
Keep an eye on the arc in Monday's game: Blake have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 6.3 threes per game. It's a different story for East Bay, though, as they've been averaging only 5.6 threes per game. Given Blake's sizeable advantage in that area, East Bay will need to find a way to close that gap.
Blake ended up a good deal behind East Bay in their previous matchup back in January of 2022, losing 55-40. Will Blake have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
