The Mt. Carmel Sundevils took a 59-point loss the last time they faced off against the Valley Center Jaguars, but they managed to turn things around on Friday. Mt. Carmel skirted past Valley Center 55-52. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Mt. Carmel has posted since November 14, 2023.
Mt. Carmel found their leader in underclassman Kaelyn Nason, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that Nason scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Lacey Quintanilla, who scored two points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Despite the loss, Valley Center still got an impressive performance from Nashayla Chaipos, who scored 14 points along with nine rebounds and six steals. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn English, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Mt. Carmel's victory ended a eight-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-13. As for Valley Center, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-11.
Mt. Carmel won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against El Capitan at 11:30 a.m. on January 20th. El Capitan presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Mt. Carmel in California (El Capitan is ranked 357th, while Mt. Carmel is ranked 815th). As for Valley Center, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Madison at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Madison will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
