The Santa Cruz Cardinals were the 75-72 winner over the Aptos Mariners when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. Santa Cruz was just a bucket shy of victory on Tuesday and fell 46-45 to Aptos. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Santa Cruz came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 126th, while Aptos is ranked 280th).
Ben Dotten and Demeke Smith certainly did their best on Tuesday to avoid the loss. Dotten scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and two steals, while Smith scored ten points along with five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Kirby Seals, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 12 rebounds.
Aptos' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Isaiah Ackerman, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and five steals. Mateo Calfe was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Santa Cruz's loss ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 18-5. As for Aptos, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 16-7.
Santa Cruz will be playing at home against San Lorenzo Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Aptos, they have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome Harbor at 7:30 p.m. on February 2nd. Aptos is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 58.5 points per game this season.
