Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to post 14 more assists than your opponent, a fact the Cairo Syrupmakers proved on Friday. They slipped by Hardaway 54-53. The win was all the more spectacular given Cairo's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 285th, while Hardaway is ranked 119th).
Cairo was led to victory by Keshen Spence and Jykortnee Brown. Spence scored 18 points along with six assists and five rebounds, while Brown scored 14 points along with five rebounds. Those six assists set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Kylon Brown, who scored eight points.
Despite the loss, Hardaway still got an impressive performance from Lamell Mims, who scored 16 points. Mims scored a full 30.2% of Hardaway's points, the fifth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Johnathan Kyles, who scored ten points.
Hardaway struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Cairo's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-6. As for Hardaway, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cairo won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Thomasville at 8:00 p.m. on January 6th. Thomasville has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 188 points over their last three games. Hardaway won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Northside at 2:30 p.m. on January 6th. Northside has now lost eight straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 11.
