After a string of three wins, the Morningside Academy Eagles's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They took a 60-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of Jensen Beach. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Morningside Academy of the 48-47 defeat they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2022.
Morningside Academy's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elijah Clifford, who scored 16 points along with nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Clifford has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of James Bolton, who scored six points along with ten rebounds.
Even though they lost, Morningside Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Cordell Wilkins was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds for Jensen Beach. Wilkins has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last four times he's played. Ethan Ashong was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with three steals.
Morningside Academy's loss dropped their record down to 11-4. As for Jensen Beach, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Morningside Academy on the road again on Monday and play against Olympic Heights at 7:30 p.m. on January 15th. Olympic Heights will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive. As for Jensen Beach, they will head out on the road to face off against Vero Beach at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
