Preview: Don Lugo Conquistadores vs. Chino Cowboys
Don Lugo is 2-8 against Chino since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Don Lugo Conquistadores will be staying on the road to face off against the Chino Cowboys at 12:45 p.m. on January 24th. Don Lugo will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps California Rankings (they are ranked 772nd, while Chino is ranked 101st).
Last Thursday, Don Lugo was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 33-28 to Montclair.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Issabela Medina, who scored four points along with ten rebounds. She hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Raquel Bojorquez, who scored ten points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Chino entered their tilt with Chaffey with ten consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 11. Chino blew past Chaffey 84-36 at home. Chino has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 22 points or more this season.
Chino's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tess Oldenburg, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 13 rebounds. Oldenburg is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted two or more in the last nine games she's played. Another player making a difference was Lyndsey Valverde, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten steals.
Don Lugo has been struggling recently, as they've lost nine of their last ten matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-13 record this season. As for Chino, they pushed their record up to 15-3 with that victory, which was their seventh straight at home.
Wednesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Don Lugo have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Chino, though, as they've been averaging only 30.4 rebounds per game. Given Don Lugo's sizeable advantage in that area, Chino will need to find a way to close that gap.
Don Lugo was dealt a bruising 74-20 loss at the hands of Chino in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. The game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Don Lugo was down 47-7.
