Basketball Recap: Canyon Comes Up Short

If Canyon was feeling good fresh off their 101-25 takedown of Castaic last Monday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Canyon Cowboys were just a bucket shy of victory on Wednesday and fell 41-40 to the Hart Hawks. The Cowboys have struggled against the Hawks recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Lanie Rafkind

Steals

02/05/25 vs Hart	2
02/03/25 @ Castaic	2
01/31/25 @ Valencia	6
01/28/25 @ Golden Valley	3
01/21/25 vs West Ranch	3

When it comes to explaining why Canyon lost, don't look at Lanie Rafkind. Despite the final result, she went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc on her way to 22 points and five rebounds. Rafkind has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Brooke Phillips was another key player, putting up three points and five boards.

Hart's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Morgan Mack led the charge by almost dropping a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Another player making a difference was Emery Eav, who posted seven points along with seven boards and three steals.

Canyon's loss dropped their record down to 14-14. As for Hart, they have been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season.

The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Canyon will be playing in front of their home fans against Notre Dame Academy at 7:00 p.m. on February 13th. Notre Dame Academy will roll in looking for their eighth straight victory, something Canyon surely won't give up without a fight. As for Hart, they will welcome San Jacinto at 7:00 p.m. on February 13th. San Jacinto has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.