The Palmer Trinity Falcons's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They took a 55-46 hit to the loss column at the hands of Pine Crest. Palmer Trinity was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Pine Crest apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in January of 2022.
Palmer Trinity's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jade Leon, who scored 22 points along with seven rebounds and seven steals, and Emma Esparza who scored eight points along with seven assists and six rebounds. That was a full 47.8% of Palmer Trinity's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sofia Laria, who scored seven points.
Even though they lost, Palmer Trinity smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pine Crest only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Pine Crest was led to victory by Franky Garfi and Isabella M sangha. Garfi scored 16 points along with seven rebounds, while M sangha dropped a double-double on 23 points and 14 rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which M sangha has scored at least a third of Pine Crest's points.
Palmer Trinity's loss dropped their record down to 9-9. As for Pine Crest, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Palmer Trinity will face off against Somerset Academy South Homestead at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Somerset Academy South Homestead is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 53.2 points per game. As for Pine Crest, Pine Crest and Gulliver Prep will face off at 5:00 p.m. on January 23rd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday.
