North Pike has relied on a stalwart defense averaging 28.23 points allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They took a 55-44 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Natchez Bulldogs. The Jaguars have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
North Pike lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Kadence Thompson, who posted 12 points along with six assists and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of De'Asia Hudson, who put up nine points and five boards.
Even though they lost, North Pike smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Natchez only pulled down seven offensive boards.
Natchez's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but PAYGE JACKSON led the charge by going 8 of 9 on her way to 19 points and seven rebounds. The dominant performance gave JACKSON a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of RONIYA ELLIS, who had 12 points and four steals.
North Pike's defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-2. As for Natchez, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
North Pike will be taking part in a tournament against Germantown at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Natchez, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 57-31 win against Jefferson County on the 21st.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
