After a string of five wins, the Kennedy Cougars's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 57-53 defeat to they. They found out winning isn't easy when you make five fewer threes than your opponent.
Kennedy's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Taylor Shirley, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Those 18 points set a new season-high mark for him. Jordan Lawrence was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with five rebounds and three blocks.
Natomas got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Dereon Jenkins out in front who scored 14 points along with five steals. Those five steals set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Darius Hemmingway, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds.
Kennedy's loss dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Natomas, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Kennedy will take on Burbank at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Burbank's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last four games. As for Natomas, they will be playing at home against Sacramento at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sacramento is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road.
