After flying high against Sports Leadership & Management on Tuesday, Keys Gate came back down to earth. The Knights took a 48-37 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Batavia Bulldogs on Friday. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Knights came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 121st in Florida, while the Bulldogs are ranked 276th in Illinois).
Several Knights players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Essence Deleon, who almost dropped a double-double with 14 points and nine boards. That was a full 37.8% of Keys Gate's points, marking the fourth time in a row Deleon has posted more than a third of the team's points. Destiny Beard also deserves some recognition as she posted her first assist of the season.
Among those leading the charge was Ali Thomas, who shot 40% from the field on her way to 15 points and eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Harper Haren, who earned seven points.
Keys Gate has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Batavia, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 4-12.
Keys Gate didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 55-53 win against Western on the 3rd. As for Batavia, they have also already played their next game, a 49-35 loss against Lincoln Park Academy on the 3rd.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
