The Manteca Buffaloes were the 46-32 winner over the Riverbank Bruins when they last played one another last Saturday, but their luck changed this time around. Manteca lost to Riverbank on the road by a decisive 54-38 margin on Thursday. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Manteca came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 137th, while Riverbank is ranked 280th).
Manteca's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jada Ikharo, who scored ten points along with seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Izabella Sanchez, who scored ten points along with seven rebounds.
Manteca bumped their record down to 11-3 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for Riverbank, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.
Manteca's road trip will continue as they head out to face El Capitan at 3:00 p.m. on December 27th. That game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Shantelle Magana and Ikharo. Riverbank won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Beyer at 6:00 p.m. on December 22nd. Beyer has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
