The Walton Braves struggled with offensive rebounds on Thursday (the Freeport Bulldogs had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Walton fell 53-45 to Freeport. Walton has struggled against Freeport recently, as their contest on Thursday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
When it comes to explaining why Walton lost, one person who can't be blamed is Maleaha Johnson. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Raegan Wright was another key contributor, scoring five points.
Freeport's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Sienna Fisher led the charge by dropping a double-double on 11 points and 17 rebounds. Those 17 rebounds set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Ludwig, who scored seven points along with four steals.
Walton has not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season. As for Freeport, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Walton won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Baker at 6:30 p.m. on January 12th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Florida (Baker is ranked 395th, while Walton is ranked 386th). As for Freeport, they will head out on the road to face off against Destin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday.
