The Eastmark Firebirds's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Arizona College Prep by a score of 46-43. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Eastmark has scored all season.
When it comes to explaining why Eastmark lost, one person who can't be blamed is Timothy Gorham. Despite the final result, he scored 24 points. That was a full 55.8% of Eastmark's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Alex Burns was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Arizona College Prep was led to victory by Alex Neill and Asher Perez. Neill scored ten points along with six rebounds, while Perez scored 12 points. Perez's trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three games straight. Another player making a difference was Zach Cutler, who scored five points along with eight rebounds.
Eastmark's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-9. As for Arizona College Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 18-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Eastmark won't have much time to rest: their next game is against American Leadership Academy at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (American Leadership Academy is ranked 72nd, while Eastmark is ranked 77th). As for Arizona College Prep, they will head out on the road to face off against American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
