The Bard Falcons's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their ninth straight defeat. They lost to Eastern on the road by a decisive 55-38 margin. Bard was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Eastern apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2023.
Several Falcons players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Andre Wright, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds and three blocks. LaMardre Anderson-Ward was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with five rebounds.
Bard struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. They are winless (0-6) when they can't control their own glass like that.
Leading Eastern to victory were Rashid Faruq and Isyah Joyner. Faruq scored 18 points along with five assists and two steals, while Joyner dropped a double-double on 19 points and 14 rebounds. Faruq is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 16 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Derrick Gatling, who scored nine points.
Bard's loss was their sixth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-19. As for Eastern, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 9-7.
Bard will head out on the road to square off against Dunbar at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Dunbar will roll in looking for their fourth straight victory, something Bard surely won't give up without a fight. As for Eastern, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Cardozo at 7:30 p.m. on February 5th. Cardozo has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 631 points over their last nine matches.
