Basketball Recap: Karen Ayala's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Riverdale over Granite Hills

After flying high against Alpaugh last Monday, Riverdale came back down to earth. The Riverdale Cowboys fell to the Granite Hills Grizzlies 46-40. The Cowboys have struggled against the Grizzlies recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Riverdale's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Karen Ayala, who posted 19 points. That was a full 47.5% of Riverdale's points, marking the sixth time in a row she's had more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Valeria Olguin, who put up 15 points.

Riverdale's defeat dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Granite Hills, their win ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-5.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Riverdale won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Dos Palos at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Riverdale is facing Dos Palos at the right time seeing as Dos Palos is stuck on a five-game losing streak. As for Granite Hills, they will head out on the road to challenge Laton at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Laton's defense has only allowed 28.8 points per game this season, so Granite Hills' offense will have their work cut out for them.