The Ridgeland Panthers pushed their score all the way to 57 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 65-57 to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. Ridgeland was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January.
Ridgeland lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Chase Hickman, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Eron Graham, who scored seven points along with three steals.
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Darian Keefe, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and two blocks. Jared Mitchell was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and ten rebounds.
Ridgeland has not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-9 record this season. As for Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 7-12.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Ridgeland will face off against Coahulla Creek at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Ridgeland is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 63.4 points per game this season. As for Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, they will head out on the road to take on Adairsville at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Adairsville knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine matchups -- so hopefully Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe likes a good challenge.
