The Moreno Valley Vikings struggled with assists on Wednesday (the Hemet Bulldogs had 14 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Moreno Valley took a 69-50 bruising from Hemet. While losing is never fun, Moreno Valley can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 747th, while Hemet is ranked 284th).
When it comes to explaining why Moreno Valley lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jamall Thompson. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 25 points and 13 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Zyetice Hayes, who scored ten points along with four steals.
Hemet's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Juaquin Martinez, who scored 19 points along with five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinton Skinner, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Moreno Valley has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-9 record this season. As for Hemet, they are on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season.
Coincidentally, the pair will both be playing Orange Vista the next time they take the court. Moreno Valley will host Orange Vista at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, while Hemet will head out to face them at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
