The Centennial Apaches came into Friday's matchup having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They skirted past Hawthorne 67-65. The win was just what Centennial needed coming off of a 62-35 loss in their prior match.
Several Cougars players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jakobi Smith, who scored 21 points. Smith continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Harin Patel was another key contributor, scoring 21 points.
Centennial's win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-16. As for Hawthorne, they dropped their record down to 6-15 with that loss, which was their fourth straight on the road.
Centennial will challenge the Normans at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Beverly Hills presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Apaches in California (the Normans are ranked 294th, while the Apaches are ranked 1109th). As for Hawthorne, they will be playing at home against the Sentinels at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
