Apple Valley hasn't had much luck against Hesperia recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Apple Valley Sun Devils will venture away from home to take on the Hesperia Scorpions at 6:00 p.m. Apple Valley will be strutting in after a win while Hesperia will be coming in after a loss.
Apple Valley took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They walked away with a 44-36 victory over Serrano.
| 01/09/25 vs Serrano | 33 |
| 12/27/24 vs Canyon Springs | 32 |
| 11/28/23 vs Barstow | 31 |
| 11/18/23 vs Desert | 28 |
| 11/15/23 @ University Prep | 25 |
Elizabeth Searls was her usual excellent self, going 8 for 14 from beyond the arc on her way to 33 points. Those 33 points gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mehr Ahluwalia, who posted four points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Hesperia was just a bucket shy of victory on Thursday and fell 61-60 to Burroughs. The Scorpions have struggled against the Burros recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Apple Valley will have to contain Annabel Sanchez as she made an impact in Hesperia's last game. She dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds. Paige Harralson was another key player, putting up 12 points.
Even though they lost, Hesperia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive games.
Apple Valley's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-7. As for Hesperia, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 6-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Apple Valley has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 37.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hesperia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Apple Valley didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Hesperia when the teams last played back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 50-44 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hesperia's Berlynn Miramontes, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine boards. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Apple Valley still be able to contain Miramontes? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
