The Cardinal Newman Cardinals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their seventh straight loss. They received a tough blow as they fell 54-36 to First Baptist School. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Cardinal Newman of the 50-23 loss they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2022.
Cardinal Newman's loss came despite strong showings from Teonna Draughn and Zaria Thompson. Draughn scored 16 points along with five assists and two steals, while Thompson scored eight points along with eight rebounds and four blocks. That was a full 44.4% of Cardinal Newman's points, marking the sixth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Taylor Laubacker, who scored six points.
Cardinal Newman has been struggling recently as they've lost ten of their last 11 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season. As for First Baptist School, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 19-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cardinal Newman will take on the Falcons at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in South Carolina (Ben Lippen is ranked 150th, while the Cardinals are ranked 146th). As for First Baptist School, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Chargers at 6:15 p.m. Northwood Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 13 contests -- so hopefully the Hurricanes likes a good challenge.
