The Derby Red Raiders's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their seventh straight loss. They fell 45-35 to Wilby. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Derby in their matchups with Wilby: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite the loss, Derby saw an underclassman step up: Shea Gray scored 26 points along with six rebounds and four steals. That was a full 74.3% of Derby's points, marking the ninth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Ce'Ajah Wilson was another key contributor, scoring four points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Derby dropped their record down to 1-12 with that loss, which was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 25.9 points per game. As for Wilby, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-8.
Derby won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Holy Cross at 5:30 p.m. on January 23rd. Holy Cross is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling. As for Wilby, they will head out on the road to square off against Oxford at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Oxford presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Wilby in Connecticut (Oxford is ranked 40th, while Wilby is ranked 135th).
