The Cocoa Tigers were the 100-52 winner over the Pathways Eagles when they last played one another back in December of 2019, but their luck changed this time around. Cocoa took a 63-52 hit to the loss column at the hands of Pathways on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, Cocoa can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 469th, while Pathways is ranked 197th).
When it comes to explaining why Cocoa lost, one person who can't be blamed is Travon Graves. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Tyrone Rogers was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with two steals.
Cocoa struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Pathways racked up 16 assists.
It was another big night for Branden Southall, who scored 25 points along with nine rebounds and five assists for Pathways. Southall is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for four games straight. The team also got some help courtesy of Steven Edwards, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds.
Cocoa has not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season. As for Pathways, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 15-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cocoa will square off against Satellite at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Pathways, they will head out on the road to take on Cornerstone Charter Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
