The Lemon Bay Manta Rays suffered their closest defeat yet this season on Friday. They fell just short of North Port by a score of 55-52. Lemon Bay was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as North Port apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Lemon Bay's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Myah Dickerson, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 19 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Dickerson has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Maya Collins, who scored 15 points along with four steals.
North Port found their leader in underclassman Taylor Davidson, who scored 24 points along with eight rebounds and four blocks. Davidson has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby McFarlane, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds.
Lemon Bay has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-11 record this season. As for North Port, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-11.
Lemon Bay's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Aubrey Rogers at 6:00 p.m. on January 22nd. As for North Port, they will head out on the road to square off against Venice at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Venice knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five contests -- so hopefully North Port likes a good challenge.
