The Black River Pirates's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight defeat. They fell just short of Wellington by a score of 42-40. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Black River of the 64-52 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in December of 2023.
Black River's loss came despite strong showings from Zane Bungard and Evan Ladina. Bungard scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and two steals, while Ladina scored 11 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. Ladina also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Layne Lawhon was another key contributor, scoring five points.
Black River was without their leading scorer, John Kray, in Tuesday's match. With Kray sitting this one out, Lawhon got some extra time on the court (18 vs. his season average of 7.78). Lawhon made the most of the opportunity, scoring five points. A few more games like that and he might be seeing even more time going forward.
Black River's loss was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 2-15. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.6 points per game. As for Wellington, their win bumped their record up to 12-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Black River will take on Firelands at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Black River focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 12 on Tuesday. As for Wellington, they will be playing at home against Brookside at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
