On Friday, the Parkside Eagles faced the McKinley Tech Trainers in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Parkside fell just short of McKinley Tech by a score of 73-70. It was the first time this season that Parkside let down their fans at home.
Parkside's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Semaj Marshall, who scored 20 points. Kasson James was another key contributor, scoring 18 points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead McKinley Tech to victory, but perhaps none more so than Marcus Dunbar, who scored 32 points along with eight rebounds. The match was Dunbar's fifth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of DaMontae Neclos, who scored 25 points.
Parkside's defeat ended a nine-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 9-5. As for McKinley Tech, their victory bumped their record up to 9-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Parkside won't have much time to rest: their next match is against E.L. Haynes at 1:30 p.m. on January 6th. E.L. Haynes is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses. As for McKinley Tech, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Jackson-Reed at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Jackson-Reed knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine games -- so hopefully McKinley Tech likes a good challenge.
