The Manzano Monarchs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a 48-31 bruising from Highland. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Manzano in their matchups with Highland: they've now lost eight in a row.
Several Monarchs players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Zaria Gomez, who scored seven points along with four steals. Gomez has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played.
Manzano struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Leading Highland to victory were Rebecca Neal and Breanna Payton. Neal scored four points along with 14 rebounds and six assists, while Payton scored 15 points. Payton has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Alison Ryan, who scored nine points.
Manzano's loss was their fifth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 3-10. As for Highland, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Manzano won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Shiprock at 2:00 p.m. on January 20th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in New Mexico (Shiprock is ranked 75th, while Manzano is ranked 97th). Highland's road trip will continue as they head out to face Albuquerque Academy at 7:00 p.m. on January 25th. That game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Addie Spratley and Neal.
