Basketball Recap: Makyla Mandujano Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Mesa Verde

On Tuesday, it was close, but the Rio Vista Rams sidestepped the Mesa Verde Mavericks for a 42-40 victory.

Rio Vista got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Makyla Mandujano out in front who went 8 for 10 en route to 19 points and six steals. Mandujano is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last five games she's played. Samiah Holley was another key player, dropping a double-double on ten boards and 11 steals.

Rio Vista is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-10 record this season. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.67 points across that stretch. As for Mesa Verde, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 11-7.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rio Vista will take on Highlands at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Rio Vista is facing Highlands at the right time seeing as Highlands is stuck on a 12-game losing streak. As for Mesa Verde, they will challenge Golden Sierra at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Mesa Verde's defense has only allowed 27.2 points per game this season, so Golden Sierra's offense will have their work cut out for them.