The Lakeland Christian Vikings suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Thursday. They ended up on the wrong side of a rough 61-40 walloping at the hands of Excel Christian Academy. Lakeland Christian was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Excel Christian Academy apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2023.
Lakeland Christian's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Issa Simpson, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Simpson has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kiya Boyce, who scored four points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Even though they lost, Lakeland Christian were working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Excel Christian Academy only posted five assists.
It was another big night for Anyla Parker, who scored 28 points along with six steals for Excel Christian Academy. That makes it three consecutive games in which Parker has scored at least a third of Excel Christian Academy's points. Another player making a difference was Soleil DeJesus, who scored 20 points.
Lakeland Christian has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-3 record this season. As for Excel Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 7-5.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Lakeland Christian won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Oasis Christian at 6:00 p.m. on January 5th. Hopefully Oasis Christian focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 24 on Thursday. As for Excel Christian Academy, they will head out on the road to square off against Life Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
