After flying high against the Red Bluff Spartans last Thursday, the Chico Panthers came back down to earth. Chico fell just short of Foothill by a score of 60-57. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
When it comes to explaining why Chico lost on Tuesday, one person who can't be blamed is Magnus Nielsen. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points. Johnny Padilla was another key contributor, scoring seven points.
Even though they lost, Chico smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Foothill only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Foothill's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tyler Zanhiser, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jose Cruz, who scored 15 points along with five assists.
Chico's loss dropped their record down to 12-8. As for Foothill, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 12-8.
Chico will face off against Pleasant Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pleasant Valley presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Chico in California (Pleasant Valley is ranked 160th, while Chico is ranked 332nd). As for Foothill, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Red Bluff at 7:30 p.m. Red Bluff is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.
