The Mandarin Mustangs fought the good fight in their overtime match against the Atlantic Coast Stingrays on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Stingrays by a score of 56-53. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Mandarin has suffered yet this season.
Mandarin's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Koko Johnson, who scored 17 points along with seven steals. Johnson is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played. Ny'keria Thomas was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with six rebounds and five assists.
Mandarin's loss dropped their record down to 9-5. As for Atlantic Coast, the victory was the 14th in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 16-1.
Mandarin's road trip will continue as they head out to face Bishop Kenny at 6:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Bishop Kenny has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Atlantic Coast, Atlantic Coast and Paxon School For Advanced Studies will face off at 6:00 p.m. on January 19th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Paxon School For Advanced Studies is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
