Basketball Recap: North Falls Despite Big Games from Stetson Stacks and Jaleil Way

North saw some tournament action on Monday. The contest between them and the White Knoll Timberwolves didn't end well, with the North Eagles falling 78-61. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the defeat, North had strong showings from Jaleil Way, who went 8 for 14 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven boards and three steals, and Stetson Stacks, who went 9 of 16 on his way to 25 points and three steals. Stacks is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Johnson, who posted three points.

Even though they lost, North smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in nine consecutive matches.

White Knoll's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ryhan Cepeda led the charge by going 9 of 13 on his way to 20 points in addition to eight boards and seven assists. Cepeda also grabbed five steals, which is notable because White Knoll is 4-2 when he posts at least five steals, but 3-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Cylan Mcleod, who went 7 of 13 on his way to 19 points.

North's loss dropped their record down to 6-6. As for White Knoll, they now have a winning record of 7-6.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. North will welcome Denmark-Olar at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for White Knoll, they will look to defend their home court on January 6, 2025 against Lower Richland at 8:00 p.m. White Knoll is facing Lower Richland at the right time seeing as Lower Richland is stuck on a four-game losing streak.