Basketball Recap: Murrieta Mesa Comes Up Short

Murrieta Mesa was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They took a 50-39 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks. The game was a 21-21 toss-up at halftime, but the Rams couldn't quite close it out.

Murrieta Valley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Parker Steffen, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 20 points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaizahn Lewis, who went 5 for 11 en route to 12 points and five rebounds.

Murrieta Mesa's loss dropped their record down to 8-17. As for Murrieta Valley, their record now sits at 15-10.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Murrieta Mesa will square off against Temecula Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Temecula Valley knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 15 contests -- so hopefully Murrieta Mesa likes a good challenge. As for Murrieta Valley, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Vista Murrieta at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Murrieta Valley is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 69 points per game this season.