Basketball Recap: Altamonte Christian Takes Loss Despite Strong Efforts from Tre Jones and Ryan Almeda

If Altamonte Christian was riding high fresh off their 91-27 takedown of Winter Haven Christian last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Altamonte Christian Eagles lost 77-53 to the Mainland Buccaneers on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Eagles have suffered since December 20, 2024.

Ryan Almeda and Tre Jones certainly did their best on Thursday to avoid the loss. Almeda posted 27 points and four steals, while Jones scored 13 points and five rebounds. With that strong performance, Almeda is now averaging an impressive 15.5 points per game. Another player making a difference was Josiah Glaude, who put up five points and six boards.

Mainland found their leader in sophomore Kade Manley, who went 8 for 16 on his way to 29 points and five steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Manley has scored at least a third of Mainland's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Canyon Powers, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and nine rebounds.

Altamonte Christian's defeat dropped their record down to 8-14. As for Mainland, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 12-9.

Altamonte Christian wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 56-54 win against Pathways on the 24th. As for Mainland, they will challenge Seabreeze at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Mainland's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last six contests.