The First Academy Royals struggled with assists on Friday (the Mount Vernon Mustangs had 13 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. The First Academy's rough 74-52 loss to Mount Vernon might stick with them for a while. It was the first time this season that The First Academy let down their fans at home.
The First Academy's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Fernando Nieves-font, who scored 13 points. Those 13 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Lorenzo De jesus, who scored 14 points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Mount Vernon to victory, but perhaps none more so than Dennis Scott, III, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Sha'yah Goba, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds.
The First Academy's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 6-5. As for Mount Vernon, they pushed their record up to 8-5 with that victory, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season.
The First Academy will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Southland Christian at 6:30 p.m. on January 4, 2024. Southland Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past four contests -- so hopefully The First Academy likes a good challenge. Mount Vernon will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Mount Pisgah Christian at 7:30 p.m. on January 9, 2024.
