The Mt. Carmel Sundevils came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They had just enough and edged Fallbrook out 53-51. Given Mt. Carmel's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 357th, while Fallbrook is ranked 808th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mt. Carmel's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Raymond Hourani led the charge by dropping a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds. Hourani is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last six games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Makai Orje, who scored 14 points.
Several Warriors players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Christian Myers, who scored 13 points. Malaki Brotherton was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Mt. Carmel is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matches, which provided a massive bump to their 12-9 record this season. As for Fallbrook, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost eight of their last ten matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Mt. Carmel will stay at home for another game and welcome Escondido at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. Escondido is hoping to put an end to a five-game streak of away losses. As for Fallbrook, they will be playing in front of their home fans against San Pasqual at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
