The Hackettstown Tigers waltzed into their game on Thursday with three straight wins but they left with four. They pulled ahead with a 54-53 photo finish over Canterbury. Given Hackettstown's advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 125th in New Jersey, while Canterbury is ranked 650th in Florida), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Several Crusaders players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Lou Donnelly, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Thomas was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with three steals.
Hackettstown's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.0 points per game. As for Canterbury, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-12 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hackettstown will take on Keswick Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keswick Christian is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak. As for Canterbury, they will head out on the road to challenge Lakeside Christian at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Lakeside Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 12 matchups -- so hopefully Canterbury likes a good challenge.
