Recap: Heritage Patriots vs. West Valley Mustangs
The Heritage Patriots scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Monday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat West Valley 96-67 at home. That 29 points margin sets a new team best for Heritage this season.
Heritage got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Aiden De Leon out in front who dropped a triple-double on 14 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists. That's the first time this season that De Leon posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrian Viray, who scored 21 points along with seven assists and three steals.
Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Malachi Black, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Elijah Alexander was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with eight rebounds and four steals.
Heritage's win bumped their record up to 6-12. As for West Valley, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-10 record this season.
Heritage will be playing in front of their home fans against Vista del Lago at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Vista del Lago is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 54 points per game. West Valley won't have much time to rest: their next match is against San Jacinto at 5:30 p.m. on January 9th. Hopefully San Jacinto focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 back in December of 2023.
