Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 20 to ten on the offensive boards, a fact the St. Andrew's Episcopal Lions proved on Saturday. They walked away with a 51-39 victory over Decatur. Given St. Andrew's Episcopal's advantage in MaxPreps' Maryland basketball rankings (they are ranked 20th, while Decatur is ranked 128th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Andrew's Episcopal got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaylah Thompson out in front who scored 12 points along with five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Thompson has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Sophia Brooks, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 16 rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Decatur lost, one person who can't be blamed is Allison Swift. Despite the final result, she scored 24 points along with eight rebounds. That's the first time this season that Swift scored 15 or more points. Jozlyn Tyre was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks.
St. Andrew's Episcopal's win bumped their record up to 11-4. As for Decatur, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-5.
St. Andrew's Episcopal will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Maret at 5:45 p.m. Hopefully Maret focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 12 on Friday. As for Decatur, they will head out on the road to challenge Pocomoke at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
