The Rio Mesa Spartans's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their ninth straight loss. They had to suffer through a rough 81-18 loss at the hands of Ventura. While losing is never fun, Rio Mesa can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 730th, while Ventura is ranked 26th).
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Ventura to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kailee Staniland, who scored 13 points along with eight assists and four steals. Skyler Knight was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds.
Rio Mesa has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost 11 of their last 12 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-19 record this season. As for Ventura, their victory was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 22-3.
Rio Mesa will head out on the road to challenge Oxnard at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Oxnard is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games. As for Ventura, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Santa Barbara at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Santa Barbara is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
