Basketball Recap: Make It Seven in a Row for O'connor

Panthers

Previous Games

01/18/25 vs Sotomayor	56-54
01/14/25 @ Warren	50-48
01/10/25 @ Taft	63-39
01/07/25 vs Stevens	57-43
01/03/25 @ Holmes	76-64
+ 2 more games

It was a proper cat-fight when O'Connor faced off against Sotomayor on Saturday. The O'Connor Panthers had just enough and edged the Sotomayor WILDCATS out 56-54. The win was familiar territory for the Panthers who have now won seven contests in a row.

O'Connor's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Hagen Hurst, who went 8 for 11 en route to 18 points and seven rebounds. Evan Herrera was another key player, putting up 12 points along with five boards and three steals.

O'Connor smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.

Several WILDCATS players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Demian Joyner, who went 5 of 6 on his way to 13 points and three steals. That's the most steals Joyner has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Inweh, who posted ten points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.

O'Connor pushed their record up to 15-10 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.0 points per game. As for Sotomayor, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 13-12.

O'Connor will square off against Harlan at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Harlan knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight games -- so hopefully O'Connor likes a good challenge. As for Sotomayor, they will host Marshall at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Marshall is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.8 points per game this season.