The Irwin County Indians's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a 61-54 hit to the loss column at the hands of Cook. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Irwin County of the 47-36 defeat they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2023.
Several Indians players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Zay Payne, who scored 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylen Martin, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds.
Cook was led to victory by Tucker Rountree and Keshun McKever. Rountree scored 14 points along with six rebounds, while McKever scored 15 points along with nine rebounds and two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Rountree has scored all season. Ny'shaun Wallace was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with five rebounds.
Irwin County has been struggling recently, as they've lost 12 of their last 13 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-15 record this season. As for Cook, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-10.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Irwin County will challenge Bacon County at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Bacon County is on a three-game streak of home losses, Irwin County a seven-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck is about to change. As for Cook, they will head out on the road to take on Berrien at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Berrien aren't just struggling at home either: they haven't won a game anywhere since November 21, 2023.
