The Chico Panthers had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.7 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They snuck past Pleasant Valley with a 49-43 victory. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 15 to 6 on the offensive boards, as Chico did.
Chico found their leader in underclassman Corrina Stephens, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 21 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Stephens has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylee Clements, who scored ten points.
Despite the defeat, Pleasant Valley had strong showings from Aj Gambol, who scored 20 points along with two steals, and Maddux Wilson, who scored 17 points. Wilson hasn't dropped below 15points for four straight games.
Pleasant Valley struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Chico has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. As for Pleasant Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 15-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Chico will face off against Shasta at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Shasta is on a three-game streak of home wins, Chico a three-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court. As for Pleasant Valley, they will head out on the road to challenge Red Bluff at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Red Bluff is coming into the contest on a five-game losing streak.
