After a string of six wins, the Esperanza Aztecs's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They had to suffer through a rough 95-47 loss at the hands of Mater Dei. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Esperanza in their matchups with Mater Dei: they've now lost six in a row.
Esperanza's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bailey Frazier, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds. Madilyn Lam was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with two steals.
Esperanza's defeat ended a 11-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 20-4. As for Mater Dei, their victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Esperanza won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Brea Olinda at 6:00 p.m. on January 27th. Brea Olinda will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps California Rankings (they are ranked 308th, while Esperanza is ranked 42nd). As for Mater Dei, they will head out on the road to square off against Santa Margarita at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
