The Rio Linda Knights waltzed into their game on Monday with five straight wins but they left with six. They snuck past Pioneer with a 45-40 win. This was payback for Rio Linda, who suffered a 53-52 loss the last time these two teams met.
Rio Linda found their leader in underclassman LaRay Mitchell, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. It was the first time this season that Mitchell pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Mariah Walton, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Pioneer lost, one person who can't be blamed is Olivia Gill. Despite the final result, she scored 17 points along with six rebounds and four blocks. That was a full 42.5% of Pioneer's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Peyton Thorpe was another key contributor, scoring six points along with eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Pioneer smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rio Linda only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
Rio Linda has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. As for Pioneer, their defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 22-3.
Coincidentally, the pair will both be playing Woodland the next time they take the court. Rio Linda will host the Wolves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, while the Patriots will head out to face them at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
