Long Beach unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-court advantage in their season opener. They took a 75-71 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Friends Academy Quakers. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Marines of the 70-52 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2021.
Friends Academy found their leader in sophomore Eyan Valadez, who posted 33 points in addition to eight steals and seven assists. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Valadez has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Chase O'Brien, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 15 boards.
Friends Academy pushed their record up to 4-4 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Long Beach will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Valley Stream Central at 7:00 p.m. on January 13th. As for Friends Academy, they will face off against Wheatley at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
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