Rhode Island School for the Deaf's tournament run continued when they took on Arkansas School for the Deaf on Friday. Rhode Island School for the Deaf came up short against the Arkansas School for the Deaf Leopards, falling 56-36. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Rhode Island School for the Deaf came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 25th in Rhode Island, while Arkansas School for the Deaf is ranked 488th in Arkansas).
Rhode Island School for the Deaf's loss came despite strong showings from Howard Valentin and Correy Oliveira. Valentin posted 20 points along with five boards and four steals, while Oliveira earned ten points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. That was a full 55.6% of Rhode Island School for the Deaf's points, marking the fifth time in a row he's scored more than a third of the team's points. Jean-Petit Nwamba was another key player, putting up five points and six boards.
Rhode Island School for the Deaf
| 01/17/25 vs Arkansas School for the Deaf | 36-56 |
| 01/14/25 vs Oxford Academy | 43-54 |
Even though they lost, Rhode Island School for the Deaf smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive contests.
Rhode Island School for the Deaf has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season. As for Arkansas School for the Deaf, with the victory, they broke their five-game losing streak and moved their record to 2-9.
Rhode Island School for the Deaf wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 39-23 win against Washington School for the Deaf on the 18th. Arkansas School for the Deaf has also already played their next contest, a 40-31 loss against Oklahoma School for the Deaf on the 18th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
