Basketball Recap: Rank Disadvantage No Problem for Vanden

Vanden's game on Friday was a loss, but they didn't let that memory haunt them on Saturday. They snuck past the Bishop Manogue Miners with a 52-47 win. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Vikings' disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 113th in California, while the Miners are ranked 11th in Nevada).

Despite the defeat, Bishop Manogue saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Josie Williamson dropped a double-double with 19 points and 15 boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Williamson has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Hall, who posted ten points.

Vanden is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-2 record this season. As for Bishop Manogue, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-3.

Vanden will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Rodriguez at 7:30 p.m. on January 2, 2026. This will be the Vikings' first chance to prove their worth in the conference. Bishop Manogue will take on Reed in a holiday battle at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday.