A well-balanced attack led New Albany over Clearwater in every quarter on their way to victory on Saturday. The New Albany Bulldogs came out on top against the Clearwater Tornadoes by a score of 60-53. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 66th in Mississippi, while the Tornadoes are ranked 281st in Florida), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Issac Gilbert was his usual excellent self, going 9 for 12 on his way to 24 points and eight rebounds. Amari Hubbard was another key player, going 5 of 11 en route to 13 points and eight boards.
New Albany smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.
Clearwater's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zain Watson, who posted ten points and six steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kyden Heniger, who earned 12 points and six assists.
Bulldogs
| 01/25/25 vs Clearwater | 60-53 |
| 01/23/25 vs Byhalia | 75-46 |
| 01/16/25 vs South Pontotoc | 66-62 |
| 01/03/25 vs Ripley | 82-60 |
| 12/19/24 vs Corinth | 76-42 |
| + 5 more games |
New Albany pushed their record up to 17-6 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.7 points per game. As for Clearwater, they have been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-10 record this season.
New Albany has already played their next contest, a 52-49 defeat against South Pontotoc on the 28th. As for Clearwater, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 46-36 loss against Berkeley Prep on the 28th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
