The Umatilla Bulldogs had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.6 points), and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against South Lake and snuck past 53-50. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Umatilla has posted yet this season.
Umatilla found their leader in underclassman Herly Brutus, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 14 rebounds. Brutus is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Artis James, who scored eight points along with three steals.
South Lake lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Isaiah Pina, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds. kevens charles was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with four steals.
Umatilla's win was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-3. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 24.89 points. As for South Lake, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-8 record this season.
Coincidentally, Umatilla and South Lake will both be playing East Ridge the next time they take the court. South Lake will host East Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, while Umatilla will host them at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
