After having lost a blowout in their previous game against DeSoto County, the Patel Trailblazers were happy to have found some success on Tuesday. They escaped with a win against Families Instructing Students HomeSchool by the margin of a single free throw, 36-35.
It was another big night for SIMARKAE MCLEAN, who scored 16 points. XIOMARI MATTHEWS was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
When it comes to explaining why Families Instructing Students HomeSchool lost, one person who can't be blamed is Melody Lee. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. That was a full 54.3% of Families Instructing Students HomeSchool's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Julianna Lamon, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Families Instructing Students HomeSchool smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Patel only pulled down an offensive rebound.
Patel's win bumped their record up to 11-12. As for Families Instructing Students HomeSchool, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-10 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Patel won't have much time to rest: their next match is against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on January 31st. Hopefully Carrollwood Day focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 24 on Tuesday. As for Families Instructing Students HomeSchool, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Pirates at 5:30 p.m. Braden River is no doubt hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
