Santa Fe is 2-8 against Whittier since February of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Santa Fe Chiefs will take on the Whittier Cardinals at 6:30 p.m. Santa Fe is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
Santa Fe will bounce into Wednesday's game after beating California, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Santa Fe strolled past California with points to spare on Wednesday, taking the game 56-37.
Roxy Beltran
| 01/08/25 vs California | 6 |
| 12/28/24 vs Edgewood | 4 |
| 12/28/24 vs Segerstrom | 5 |
| 12/27/24 vs Upland | 4 |
| 12/23/24 vs Garden Grove | 7 |
| 12/20/24 vs San Gabriel | 4 |
Santa Fe's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Roxy Beltran led the charge by going 6 of 14 on her way to 16 points in addition to six steals and five assists. Beltran is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed four or more in the last six games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Abigail Cetina, who went 5 for 12 on her way to 12 points and six rebounds.
Santa Fe smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Whittier lost to La Serna at home by a 50-35 margin on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 687th, while the Lancers are ranked 257th).
Santa Fe will need focus on slowing down Hazel Rico, one of several Whittier players who made an impact when they last played. She posted ten points and six rebounds. Those ten points gave Rico a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Alvares, who had nine points and six rebounds.
Santa Fe's win bumped their record up to 16-2. As for Whittier, they have been struggling recently as they've lost nine of their last 12 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-11 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Santa Fe has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Whittier struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Santa Fe came up short against Whittier when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 34-30. Can Santa Fe avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
