After a string of four wins, the Pickerington North Panthers's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They received a tough blow as they fell 56-41 to New Albany. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Pickerington North of the 48-41 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in January.
When it comes to explaining why Pickerington North lost, one person who can't be blamed is Arness Lawson. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points along with two steals. Lawson has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last 14 times he's played. Jaiden Vital was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with six rebounds.
Pickerington North's defeat dropped their record down to 12-7. As for New Albany, they pushed their record up to 16-4 with that victory, which was their seventh straight at home.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pickerington North's road trip will continue as they head out to face Pickerington Central at 7:30 p.m. on February 13th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Ohio (Pickerington Central is ranked 72nd, while Pickerington North is ranked 49th). As for New Albany, they will head out on the road to square off against Hilliard Darby at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully New Albany is not getting complacent considering they own a much higher rank in Ohio (they are ranked 20th, while Hilliard Darby is ranked 547th).
