The Banning Lewis Academy Stallions waltzed into their match Saturday with three straight wins but they left with four. They came out on top in a nail-biter against James Irwin and snuck past 52-49. That's another feather in the cap for Banning Lewis Academy, who also won these teams' last head-to-head.
Banning Lewis Academy's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Feranmi Babatunde, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 15 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Babatunde pulled down eight or more rebounds. Ben Early was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds.
Despite the loss, James Irwin saw an underclassman step up: Matthew Lebron scored 32 points along with four steals. Lebron scored a full 65.3% of James Irwin'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 Gabriel Rubio , who scored three points along with seven steals and three blocks.
James Irwin struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Banning Lewis Academy's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.2 points per game. As for James Irwin, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Banning Lewis Academy will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Buena Vista at 7:00 p.m. on January 5, 2024. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Colorado (Buena Vista is ranked 63rd, while Banning Lewis Academy is ranked 50th). James Irwin will be home for the holidays to greet Ellicott at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Ellicott comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
