The Fuquay - Varina Bengals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight loss. They fell 57-46 to South Garner. While losing is never fun, Fuquay - Varina can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 436th, while South Garner is ranked 91st).
Despite the defeat, Fuquay - Varina saw an underclassman step up: Abdou Diop scored 19 points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Nick Clark, who scored nine points.
Fuquay - Varina struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. They are winless (0-3) when they can't control their own glass like that.
South Garner got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Najai Hines out in front who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds. Hines hasn't dropped below 15points for four straight games. Jayden Littles was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with six rebounds.
Fuquay - Varina's loss dropped their record down to 3-12. As for South Garner, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season.
Coincidentally, the pair will both be playing Corinth Holders the next time they take the court. South Garner will head out to face Corinth Holders at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, while Fuquay - Varina will host them at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.