The Helix Highlanders were the 45-39 winner over the El Capitan Vaqueros when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. Helix fell just short of the Vaqueros by a score of 47-44. Helix has been going strong on the season, but this is now their second loss in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Helix lost on Tuesday, one person who can't be blamed is Valerie Marquez. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 16 points and 13 rebounds. Marquez has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last eight times she's played. Michaelle Whyte was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Even though they lost, Helix smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as El Capitan only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.
El Capitan found their leader in underclassman Keira Heinricy, who scored 20 points along with two steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which Heinricy has scored at least a third of El Capitan's points. Another player making a difference was Paige Worthem, who scored 11 points.
Helix's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 15-6. As for El Capitan, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 16-9.
Helix will take on the Knights at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for El Capitan, they will head out on the road to face off against the Foothillers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
