The Pacifica Tritons's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They suffered a tough 73-51 defeat at the hands of Buena. While losing is never fun, Pacifica can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 934th, while Buena is ranked 429th).
When it comes to explaining why Pacifica lost, one person who can't be blamed is Richard Miranda. Despite the final result, he scored 30 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Miranda has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Dillon, who scored 11 points along with seven assists.
Pacifica struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Buena pulled down 15 offensive rebounds.
It was another big night for Luke Ortiz, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and four blocks for Buena. Ortiz has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last seven times he's played. Josh ullegue was another key contributor, scoring 15 points.
Pacifica has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-9 record this season. As for Buena, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-9.
Pacifica's road trip will continue as they head out to face Lancaster at 4:30 p.m. on January 6th. One thing working in Lancaster's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last four matchups. As for Buena, they will head out on the road to face off against San Marcos at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. San Marcos knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully Buena likes a good challenge.
