Basketball Recap: Stratford Comes Up Short

Stratford was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 49-45 heartbreaker at the hands of the Lucy Beckham Bengals. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Knights this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 55-53 back in January.

When it comes to explaining why Stratford lost, don't look at Ciara Mustapher. Despite the final result, she posted 21 points in addition to eight boards and five steals. The dominant performance gave Mustapher a new career-high in rebounds. Averi Johnson was another key player, putting up 11 points.

Knights

Previous 4 Games

02/04/25 @ Lucy Beckham	45-49
01/31/25 @ Wando	41-61
01/27/25 vs Goose Creek	51-60
01/20/25 @ Berkeley	44-75

Even though they lost, Stratford smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 20 consecutive matches.

Lucy Beckham's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Athena Dews, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards. Dews has become a key player for Lucy Beckham: the team is undefeated when she posts at least eight rebounds, but 5-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Lindsey Meslow, who went 6 for 14 to rack up 13 points.

Stratford's loss dropped their record down to 7-14. As for Lucy Beckham, they pushed their record up to 8-9 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.

Stratford didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 59-21 win against Cane Bay on the 6th. As for Lucy Beckham, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 54-37 defeat against Goose Creek on the 7th.