There's no place like home for the North Creek Jaguars, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Monday. They were the clear victor by a 76-50 margin over Newport - Bellevue. Given North Creek's advantage in MaxPreps' Washington basketball rankings (they are ranked 103rd, while the Knights are ranked 290th), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
When it comes to explaining why Newport - Bellevue lost, one person who can't be blamed is Brayden Lee. Despite the final result, he scored 13 points. Jace Rainey was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on 17 points and nine rebounds.
Even though they lost, Newport - Bellevue were working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
North Creek's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-8. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.7 points per game. As for Newport - Bellevue, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost eight of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-19 record this season.
North Creek won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against the Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on February 3rd. Issaquah knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five matches -- so hopefully the Jaguars like a good challenge. Newport - Bellevue does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
