Over the past week and a half, Men’s Basketball has posted a 1-2 record. The Pirates lost to both Northwest Guilford(1/18) and Grimsley(1/25), and got their singular recent win between these two games against Forsyth Country Day(1/19) in a resounding 74-55 victory. This brings the Pirates’ overall record to 9-9 with five games remaining in the regular season. Additionally, the Pirates are currently 1-2 in conference, tied with Grimsley for third place.
Recent highlights for Pirate Basketball include senior Forward Dashaun Ballard’s double-double against Forsyth Country Day. Ballard finished with 21 points on 9-16 shooting, 11 rebounds(including six offensive rebounds) and two assists. Ballard was also active on the defensive side of the ball during this game, finishing with two steals and three blocks. Also important to the victory against Forsyth Country Day was Jaden Ellis, who finished with 18 points and 5 assists, as well as three steals.
This past Friday, the Pirates lost in their first matchup with Grimsley for the season. The game was hosted at Grimsley’s Sawyer Gymnasium, and the pressure put on by both student sections led to a close but low-scoring game. With a final score of 46-34, the Whirlies ran away with the game in the final minutes in a very tight game. Despite the loss, the Pirates packed in several highlights in the game, including SG Mike Maxwell’s contested layup in which he drew a foul and subsequently hit the free throw. Arguably the most electric moment of the game for the Pirates was junior Mack Pearsall’s block off the backboard which led to a fast-break Jaden Ellis three-pointer from the left corner.
` The Pirates face off next away against Northwest Guilford on February 5th at 7:30PM. Looking to avenge their 49-38 loss against the Vikings in mid January, the Pirates will travel to the Nelson Gym next Tuesday to face the talented 14-4 squad. Good luck to the Pirates as they fight for another conference win!