Escalon is 8-2 against Hilmar since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Escalon Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Hilmar Yellowjackets at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Escalon has four straight victories, Hilmar has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Tuesday, Escalon beat Hughson 43-36.
Escalon's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Arianna Velasco, who scored 11 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. Sammy Lang was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with seven steals and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hilmar was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 38-34 to Livingston.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Emma Gomes, who scored ten points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Another player making a difference was Natalia Pereira, who scored four points along with eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Hilmar smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Livingston only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
Escalon's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 24-2. As for Hilmar, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-13 record this season.
Everything went Escalon's way against Hilmar in their previous meeting back in January as Escalon made off with a 54-30 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Escalon since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
