Pioneer Valley and Santa Ynez squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Pioneer Valley had to settle for second. They took a 52-33 bruising from the Santa Ynez Pirates. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 773rd, while the Pirates are ranked 285th).
Santa Ynez got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Lexi Molera out in front who posted ten points in addition to five assists and three steals. Molera has become a key player for Santa Ynez: the team is 7-1 when she posts at least three steals, but 8-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Helina Pecile, who put up nine points along with six assists and five rebounds.
Pioneer Valley dropped their record down to 7-13 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road. As for Santa Ynez, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-10 record this season.
Pioneer Valley does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Santa Ynez, they will be playing at home against Coalinga at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Coalinga will roll in looking for their fourth straight victory, something Santa Ynez surely won't give up without a fight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
