The El Rancho Dons 's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 43-42 to Santa Fe. The result was an unpleasant reminder to El Rancho of the 61-58 defeat they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in January of 2023.
Despite the loss, El Rancho saw an underclassman step up: Emery Riker dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 rebounds. That was a full 35.7% of El Rancho's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Jaylene Sicairos was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Leading Santa Fe to victory were Emily Collins and Natalie Rivera. Collins scored 12 points along with six rebounds, while Rivera scored 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals.
El Rancho has not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-10 record this season. As for Santa Fe, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 10-11.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. El Rancho will take on California at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in California's favor as the squad sits on four straight wins at home while El Rancho has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road. Santa Fe will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against La Serna at 5:00 p.m. on January 24th. La Serna will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
