On Monday, the Desert Pines Jaguars faced the Faith Lutheran Crusaders in a battle between two of the state's top teams. In a tight game that could have gone either way, Desert Pines made off with a 40-39 victory over Faith Lutheran. Winning may never get old, but Desert Pines sure is getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Desert Pines' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Siara Bracey led the charge by dropping a double-double on 15 points and 15 rebounds. Those 15 rebounds set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Trista Mabry, who scored seven points along with nine rebounds and five steals.
When it comes to explaining why Faith Lutheran lost, one person who can't be blamed is Emma Herpin. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. The match was Herpin's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Kloe Abdalla was another key contributor, scoring six points along with four steals.
Desert Pines pushed their record up to 12-1 with that win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 38.67 points. As for Faith Lutheran, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 7-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Desert Pines will challenge Democracy Prep Agassi Campus at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Democracy Prep Agassi Campus has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 203 points over their last three matches. As for Faith Lutheran, they will head out on the road to face off against Coronado at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nevada (Coronado is ranked 18th, while Faith Lutheran is ranked 15th).
