Basketball Recap: Golden Valley Triumphs

After losing to Merced the last time they met, Golden Valley decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. The Golden Valley Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 49-46 win over the Merced Bears on Wednesday.

Several Bears players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Aiden Matsuo, who posted 11 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. Matsuo is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last 11 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Valentin Vasquez, who went 5 for 12 en route to 13 points.

Cougars

Previous 3 Games (Away)

01/29/25 @ Merced	49-46
01/17/25 @ Atwater	55-44
01/13/25 @ Summerville	54-39

Golden Valley's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-6. As for Merced, they moved to 14-9 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Golden Valley has already played their next contest (against Buhach Colony), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Merced will square off against El Capitan at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. El Capitan will roll in looking for their seventh straight win, something Merced surely won't give up without a fight.