The Peru Tigers pushed their score all the way to 59 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of Manchester by a score of 61-59. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Peru of the 54-51 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February of 2023.
Peru's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gavin Eldridge, who went 6 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 20 points and 6 assists. Eldridge is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 20 or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew Roettger, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Manchester's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ethan Hendrix, who scored 18 points along with four steals. Hendrix is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Gavin Betten, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.
Peru's defeat dropped their record down to 10-9. As for Manchester, the victory was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 17-2.
Peru won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Western at 7:45 p.m. on February 10th. Peru is facing Western at the right time seeing as Western is stuck on a seven-game losing streak. As for Manchester, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Maconaquah at 7:45 p.m. on Friday.
