Basketball Recap: Pioneer's Luck Takes a Turn for the Worse on Saturday

Diamondbacks

Previous 5 Games

11/29/25 vs McAllen	51-72
11/28/25 vs Zapata	70-46
11/28/25 vs Harlingen South	53-50
11/25/25 vs Rio Hondo	69-41
11/21/25 vs Santa Gertrudis Academy	67-48

Pioneer dropped down to 5-2 on Saturday, ending the team's five-game streak of wins. They came up short against the McAllen Bulldogs, falling 72-51. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Diamondbacks have suffered since January 21st.

When it comes to explaining why Pioneer lost, don't look at Kaleb Cano. Despite the final result, he went 7-for-8 to rack up 20 points. Cano is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 75% in the last three games he's played. Muhamed Shaath was another key player, shooting 50% from the field on his way to 11 points.

As for McAllen, the victory keeps them at an undefeated 10-0. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 61.3 points this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead McAllen to victory, but perhaps none more so than D'aundre Canada, who went 6-for-10 en route to 19 points and five assists. Another player making a difference was Babat Akindayomi, who shot 70% from the field to rack up 17 points along with seven boards and three steals.

Pioneer didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 54-50 defeat against Sharyland on the 29th. As for McAllen, they have also already played their next matchup, a 62-50 victory against Los Fresnos on the 2nd.