Basketball Recap: Pioneer Comes Up Short

If Pioneer was feeling good fresh off their 76-41 takedown of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Pioneer Diamondbacks took a 71-63 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North Raiders on Tuesday. The Diamondbacks were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Raiders earlier this season, when they won 55-47.

When it comes to explaining why Pioneer lost, don't look at Muhamed Shaath. Despite the final result, he went 10 of 18 on his way to 24 points in addition to eight rebounds and four steals. Shaath's evening made it nine games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Matthew Maldonado, who went 6 for 12 en route to 17 points.

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Mason Lopez out in front who went 6 of 11 on his way to 31 points and five boards. The dominant performance gave Lopez a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Garza, who posted 15 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.

Pioneer's defeat dropped their record down to 12-15. As for Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North, they now have a winning record of 14-13.

Pioneer didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, an 81-39 loss against McAllen Memorial on the 17th. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North has also already played their next game, a 60-56 defeat against Vela on the 17th.