Even though the Shafter Generals have not done well against the West Vikings recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Shafter skirted past West 56-53. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Shafter.
Shafter's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Shaun Maldonado, who went 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 27 points and 2 assists. That makes it seven consecutive games in which Maldonado has scored at least 25% of Shafter's points. Aidan Cardenas was another key contributor, scoring 17 points.
When it comes to explaining why West lost, one person who can't be blamed is Fred Stokes. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 23 points and 16 rebounds. The matchup was Stokes' fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jaiyon Dixon, who scored 12 points along with 3 steals.
Shafter has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. As for West, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Shafter is on the road again on Saturday and play against Mira Monte at 5:00 p.m. on December 9th. As for West, they will square off against Tehachapi at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in California (Tehachapi is ranked 1039th, while West is ranked 1054th).
