The Elk Grove Thundering Herd's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 65-64 to Franklin. While losing is never fun, Elk Grove can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 552nd, while Franklin is ranked 74th).
Despite the defeat, Elk Grove saw an underclassman step up: Liam Acido scored 23 points along with five rebounds and two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Acido has scored all season. KyRee Fultz was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Leading Franklin to victory were Jacob Juarros and Aiden Rollins. Juarros scored 15 points along with eight rebounds and four steals, while Rollins scored 24 points along with five steals. Rollins continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Benjamin Sandy, who scored ten points.
Elk Grove has not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. As for Franklin, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 18-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Elk Grove will face off against Pleasant Grove at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Pleasant Grove focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 23 on Friday. As for Franklin, they will head out on the road to face off against Sheldon at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Sheldon's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last five matches.
