The Unity Reed Lions's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fifth straight loss. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 73-64 loss to Park View. Unity Reed was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Park View apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in December of 2023.
Despite the loss, Unity Reed had strong showings from Russell Robinson, who scored 23 points, and Peyton Powell, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 14 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Powell pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Evan Buvka, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds.
Park View's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jonathan Nicola led the charge by scoring 29 points. That makes it three consecutive games in which Nicola has scored at least 25% of Park View's points. Messiah Dixon was another key contributor, scoring 23 points.
Unity Reed's loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 3-11. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Park View, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Unity Reed won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Patriot at 7:00 p.m. on January 5th. One thing working in Patriot's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last seven contests. As for Park View, they will be playing at home against Broad Run at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
