Basketball Recap: Lakewood Picks Up Eighth Consecutive Win

Areona McKoy

Points

01/06/25 vs Clinton	24
01/03/25 vs Midway	22
12/27/24 vs Clinton	25
12/26/24 vs Heide Trask	27
12/20/24 vs Lejeune	30

Lakewood had won seven straight games and Areona McKoy did her part to make it eight on Monday. The Lakewood Leopards escaped with a win against the Clinton Dark Horses by the margin of a single free throw, 47-46 thanks in part to McKoy, who dropped a triple-double on 24 points, ten boards, and 11 steals. The game was her eighth in a row with at least ten points.

The team also got some help courtesy of Kiyah Braxton, who posted eight points and six rebounds. That's the most points she has posted since back in January of 2024.

Clinton's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ciara Stuart, who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine steals. Stuart has become a key player for Clinton: the team is 5-1 when she posts at least three steals, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Phoenix Everett, who had eight points and five steals.

Lakewood's win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 23.1 points. As for Clinton, their record is now 7-4.

Lakewood will be playing in front of their home fans against Pender at 6:00 p.m. on January 13th. As for Clinton, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Midway at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Clinton is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55 points per game this season.