The Lucerne Valley Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They were dealt a 59-29 defeat at the hands of Bethel Christian. Lucerne Valley was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 43-8.
When it comes to explaining why Lucerne Valley lost, one person who can't be blamed is Derrick Tyler. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds. Those 14 rebounds set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Valentin Garibay, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds.
Even though they lost, Lucerne Valley were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bethel Christian only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.
Leading Bethel Christian to victory were Jordyn Frazier-Mathews and Josh Coba. Frazier-Mathews dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds, while Coba scored 16 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. The game was Coba's tenth in a row with at least ten points. Joseph Kyababchian was another key contributor, scoring seven points.
Lucerne Valley has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-10 record this season. As for Bethel Christian, the victory (which was their eighth in a row) raised their record to 9-1.
Lucerne Valley's road trip will continue as they head out to face San Jacinto Leadership Academy at 2:45 p.m. on December 29th. San Jacinto Leadership Academy is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak. Bethel Christian and Newbury Park Adventist will round out the year against one another at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday at. One thing working in Newbury Park Adventist's favor is that they have posted big point totals every time they've taken the court this season.
