If the KIPP King Lions were riding high off their 78-43 takedown of the Valley Christian Vikings last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. KIPP King suffered a tough 86-63 loss at the hands of Hayward on Thursday. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
When it comes to explaining why KIPP King lost, one person who can't be blamed is David Rogers. Despite the final result, he scored 28 points along with five rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Ledezma, who scored 12 points.
KIPP King struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hayward to victory, but perhaps none more so than Quincy Lavender , who dropped a double-double on 29 points and 11 rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Lavender has scored at least 25% of Hayward's points. Jaydon Bonds was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
KIPP King has not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season. As for Hayward, their win bumped their record up to 2-7.
KIPP King won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Kennedy at 2:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023. Kennedy is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses. Hayward won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Livermore at 5:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023.
