Basketball Recap: Grace Davis Comes Up Short

Grace Davis and El Capitan squared off in some playoff action on Tuesday, but Grace Davis had to settle for second. They fell 68-58 to the El Capitan Gauchos. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 437th, while the Gauchos are ranked 143rd).

El Capitan's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alexis Valenzuela, who posted 13 points and six steals. Valenzuela is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in each of the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Shantelle Magana, who had 14 points and four steals.

Grace Davis has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 22-6 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.8 points over those games. El Capitan's win was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 25-4.

Grace Davis does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for El Capitan, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next matchup, a 54-44 loss against Whitney on the 20th.