The Maricopa Rams's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their ninth straight loss. They were dealt a 71-12 loss at the hands of Sunnyslope. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Maricopa has scored all season.
Taylor Santiago and Kylie Gardner certainly did their best on Friday to try and avoid the loss. Santiago scored four points, while Gardner scored four points.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Sunnyslope to victory, but perhaps none more so than Maggie Luba, who scored 20 points. That makes it four consecutive games in which Luba has scored at least 25% of Sunnyslope's points. Teagan McIlroy was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Maricopa bumped their record down to 1-11 with that defeat, which was their third straight at home. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 29.0 points per game. As for Sunnyslope, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 11-5.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Maricopa and Cesar Chavez will face off at 6:00 p.m. on January 8th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Cesar Chavez presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Maricopa in Arizona (Cesar Chavez is ranked 44th, while Maricopa is ranked 239th). As for Sunnyslope, they will be playing at home against Hamilton at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hamilton is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 56.8 points per game.
