Basketball Recap: Lodi Falls Short of Merced in the Playoffs

Lodi and Merced squared off in some playoff action on Monday, but Lodi had to settle for second. They fell 48-40 to the Merced Bears. The Flames were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Bears apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in December of 2018.

Despite the defeat, Lodi saw an underclassman step up: freshman Lillie Bayless posted 21 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Emiko Tanaka was another key player, putting up nine points.

Leading Merced to victory were Samantha Barragan and Averie Steverson. Barragan almost dropped a double-double with 15 points and nine boards, while Steverson almost dropped a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Steverson has been hot recently, having posted nine or more boards the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Makiiyah Sims, who had five points and 16 rebounds.

Lodi has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-15 record this season. The victory made it two in a row for Merced and bumps their season record up to 17-11.

Lodi does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Merced, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next match, a 69-26 loss against Christian Brothers on the 18th.