Basketball Recap: Pinnacle Falls Despite Big Games from Ryan Nelson and Kareem Alkhalifa

Pinnacle was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. The contest between them and the Boulder Creek Jaguars didn't end well, with the Pinnacle Pioneers falling 79-63. While losing is never fun, the Pioneers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 80th, while the Jaguars are ranked third).

Pinnacle's loss came despite strong showings from Kareem Alkhalifa and Ryan Nelson. Alkhalifa went 7 of 17 en route to 20 points along with five boards and three steals, while Nelson went 6 for 12 on his way to 17 points in addition to five assists and four steals. That's the most points Nelson has posted since back in February of 2024. Drew Stevens also deserves some recognition as he posted his first assist of the season.

They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Pinnacle was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Boulder Creek got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jeehzus Pagan out in front who went 8 for 11 on his way to 23 points and three steals. Pagan is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Matthew Delgado, who went 7 of 11 en route to 19 points and six rebounds.

Pinnacle's loss dropped their record down to 4-11. As for Boulder Creek, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 14-4.

Pinnacle didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 69-59 defeat against O'Connor on the 22nd. As for Boulder Creek, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 78-64 victory against Mountain Ridge on the 23rd.