On Saturday, Escambia came up short against Ocean Springs and fell 59-47. While losing is never fun, Escambia can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 426th in Florida, while Ocean Springs is ranked 24th in Mississippi).
Escambia's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Joshua Jackson, who scored nine points along with nine rebounds. That's the first time this season that Jackson pulled down eight or more rebounds. Tayshaun Gilcrist was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five rebounds.
Escambia has been struggling recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-11 record this season. As for Ocean Springs, the victory (which was their tenth in a row) raised their record to 12-2.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Escambia will take on West Florida at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Ocean Springs will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Gulfport at 7:30 p.m. on January 9th.
