Basketball Recap: Marquez Comes Up Short

Marquez played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by the Artesia Pioneers and fell 67-40. The Gladiators were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-15.

Anthony Ford

Blocked Shots

12/06/24 vs Artesia	2
12/05/23 vs Dorsey	2
02/09/24 vs Legacy	1
02/02/24 vs Torres	1
01/27/24 vs Ayala	1

Marquez lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Anthony Ford, who posted eight points. What's more, Ford also racked up two blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Ricardo Bermejo, who scored five points and eight rebounds.

Artesia had a senior duo take command as Jovell Tate went 8 of 12 from beyond the arc on his way to 28 points and seven rebounds and CJ Okeke went 6 of 10 on his way to 13 points in addition to six assists and three steals. Those 28 points set a new season-high mark for Tate. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Vargas, who had six points and six rebounds.

Marquez's loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 0-2. As for Artesia, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.

Marquez wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 57-52 defeat against Wilson on the 9th. As for Artesia, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 63-45 victory against South Gate on the 12th.