Basketball Recap: Arianna Velasco Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Hilmar

Escalon posted their biggest victory since December 12, 2024 on Friday. Everything went their way against the Hilmar Yellowjackets as the Escalon Cougars made off with a 45-24 win. The Cougars pushed the score to 39-12 by the end of the third, a deficit the Yellowjackets cut but never quite recovered from.

Escalon's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Arianna Velasco, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds. Velasco has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 14 times she's played. Madi Babasa was another key player, putting up 15 points and five steals.

When it comes to explaining why Hilmar lost, don't look at Emma Gomes. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 boards. That was a full 58.3% of Hilmar's points, marking the third time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points.

Escalon's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 8-9. As for Hilmar, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-10.

Escalon has already played their next game, a 58-22 victory against Hughson on the 14th. As for Hilmar, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 39-36 loss against Sonora on the 14th.