Preview: Hueneme Vikings vs. Santa Ynez Pirates
The Hueneme Vikings are on the road again on Friday and play against the Santa Ynez Pirates at 3:00 p.m. on December 15th. Hueneme has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Even though Hueneme has not done well against Nordhoff recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Hueneme walked away with a 52-45 victory over Nordhoff.
Chris Juanillo was the offensive standout of the match as he scored 14 points along with seven assists. That makes it three consecutive games in which he has scored at least 25% of Hueneme's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Cunningham, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, Santa Ynez had to suffer through a rough 72-31 loss at the hands of Dunn. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Santa Ynez has scored all season.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jayden Mendoza, who scored 12 points. Jude Pritchard was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Hueneme's win ended a 12-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-8. As for Santa Ynez, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Hueneme have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 26.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Santa Ynez struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 29.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Hueneme ended up a good deal behind Santa Ynez in their previous meeting back in December of 2014, losing 43-25. Can Hueneme avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
