Basketball Recap: Palm Valley Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Alex Ratner and Matteo Lam

If Palm Valley was feeling good fresh off their 67-15 takedown of Joshua Springs Christian last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Palm Valley FIREBIRDS took a hard 41-23 fall against the Desert Chapel Eagles on Thursday. The FIREBIRDS were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Eagles apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January.

Matteo Lam and Alex Ratner certainly did their best on Thursday to avoid the loss. Lam posted 15 points and four steals, while Ratner had four points and 12 rebounds. The match was Lam's third in a row with at least ten points.

Desert Chapel's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jayvon Garcia, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 15 rebounds. Garcia is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last three games he's played. Felix Ochoa was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 12 rebounds.

Having lost for the first time this season, Palm Valley fell to 2-1. As for Desert Chapel, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-1.

Coincidentally, the two teams will both be playing Desert Mirage the next time they take the court. Palm Valley will head out to face Desert Mirage at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, while Desert Chapel will head out to face them at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.