The Challenger Firebirds's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight defeat. They were beaten by Lake Lure Classical Academy 68-37. Challenger has not had much luck with the Raptors recently, as the team's come up short the last seven times they've met.
When it comes to explaining why Challenger lost, one person who can't be blamed is Riley Annis. Despite the final result, he scored 11 points along with two steals. Annis has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times he's played.
Lake Lure Classical Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Justin Barker led the charge by scoring eight points along with 12 steals. Barker hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Andre Staley, who scored 17 points along with three steals.
Challenger has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-12 record this season. As for Lake Lure Classical Academy, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 15-3.
Challenger does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Lake Lure Classical Academy won't have much time to rest: their next game is against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Reynolds Mountain Christian Academy will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps North Carolina Rankings (they are ranked 622nd, while the Raptors are ranked 301st).
