Ava Hepworth commands the offense for a Thunderbirds win

By Team Reports Jan 7, 2024, 6:42pm

Recap: Las Plumas Thunderbirds vs. Oroville Tigers

The Las Plumas Thunderbirds entered their tilt with the Oroville Tigers with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. Las Plumas rang in the new year with a 44-35 victory over Oroville on Saturday. That's another feather in the cap for Las Plumas, who also won these teams' last head-to-head.

Las Plumas got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Ava Hepworth out in front who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 15 rebounds. The contest was Hepworth's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was liliana Carrillo, who scored ten points along with five rebounds and three steals.

When it comes to explaining why Oroville lost, one person who can't be blamed is Rachel Bone. Despite the final result, she scored 14 points. Those 14 points set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Amira Herrera, who scored six points along with three steals.

Las Plumas is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a massive bump to their 9-8 record this season. As for Oroville, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season.

Las Plumas and Weed will face off at 3:00 p.m. on January 6th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Weed is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road. As for Oroville, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Las Plumas at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.