The Cuba Rams were the 73-72 winner over the Newcomb Skyhawks when they last played one another back in December of 2017, but their luck changed this time around. Cuba was just a bucket shy of victory on Saturday and fell 60-59 to Newcomb. Cuba has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the loss, Cuba still got an impressive performance from Maliyah Herrera, who scored 20 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Herrera continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Liliana Maestas was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with three steals.
Even though they lost, Cuba were working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Newcomb only posted nine assists.
Newcomb found their leader in underclassman Lethia Yazzie, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten steals. Yazzie has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Winona Nelson, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds.
Cuba has not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-11 record this season. As for Newcomb, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cuba and Rehoboth Christian will face off at 5:30 p.m. on January 16th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in New Mexico (Rehoboth Christian is ranked 101st, while Cuba is ranked 87th). As for Newcomb, they will head out on the road to square off against Thoreau at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
