Basketball Recap: Laela Perez's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Patriot over Ramona

After flying high against Jurupa Valley last Thursday, Patriot came back down to earth. The Patriot Warriors came up short against the Ramona Rams on Tuesday, falling 67-43. The Warriors haven't had much luck with the Rams recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.

Several Warriors players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Laela Perez, who went 7 for 12 en route to 18 points and eight rebounds. Those 18 points gave Perez a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kayla Gonzalez, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine steals.

Even though they lost, Patriot 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 12 offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.

Ramona's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jaiden Tibbels, who went 11 of 22 on her way to 29 points along with seven boards and four steals. Diana Najera was another key player, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 17 steals.

Patriot's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 12-11. As for Ramona, they pushed their record up to 18-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road.

Patriot wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 63-23 win against Norte Vista on the 23rd. As for Ramona, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 66-16 victory against La Sierra on the 23rd.