You can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely the Lemoore Tigers's strategy against the Mission Oak Hawks on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Lemoore blew the Hawks out of the water with a 73-35 final score. That 38 point margin sets a new team best for Lemoore this season.
Lemoore was led to victory by Kaden Lopes and Papa Laye. Lopes scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and five assists, while Laye scored 15 points along with five rebounds and four steals. It was the first time this season that Laye scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Mora, who scored ten points.
Several Hawks players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Levi Jimenez, who scored four points along with five rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Antonio Sanchez, who scored 12 points.
Lemoore is on a roll lately: they've won 16 of their last 19 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 18-8 record this season. As for Mission Oak, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 11-15.
Lemoore will be playing at home against the Emperors at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Dinuba is coming into the match hot, having won their last ten games. As for Mission Oak, they will head out on the road to challenge the The Tribe at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Tulare Union knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three contests -- so hopefully the Hawks like a good challenge.
