Basketball Recap: Sierra Lutheran Falls Despite Big Games from Kayla Carpenter and Noel White

Sierra Lutheran was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They came up short against the Portola Tigers, falling 37-16. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Falcons came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 98th in Nevada, while the Tigers are ranked 660th in California).

Despite the loss, Sierra Lutheran had strong showings from Noel White, who posted nine points, and Kayla Carpenter, who scored two points and six steals. What's more, White also racked up four rebounds, the most she's had since back in December of 2024.

Sierra Lutheran's defeat dropped their record down to 4-14. As for Portola, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 14-10 record this season.

Sierra Lutheran will square off against Pershing County at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Pershing County will roll in looking for their fourth straight win, something Sierra Lutheran surely won't give up without a fight. Portola has already played their next contest (against Biggs), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.