Basketball Recap: Artesia Picks Up Third Consecutive Win

Pioneers

Previous 3 Games

12/20/25 vs South Pasadena	58-56
12/17/25 vs Orange	68-30
12/13/25 vs Prospect	53-37

Artesia extended their winning streak to three on Saturday, bumping them up to 6-6. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 58-56 victory over the South Pasadena Tigers. This was payback for the Pioneers, who suffered a 68-55 defeat the last time these two teams met.

Artesia got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Christian Stewart out in front who went 6-for-9 to rack up 15 points along with seven boards and three blocks. Stewart is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in each of the last five games he's played. Jaycob Gomez also deserves some recognition as he grabbed his first steal of the season.

Artesia was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They are 6-2 when they've passed the ball that well.

As for South Pasadena, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-3 record this season. The contest marked their lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Despite the loss, South Pasadena still got an impressive performance from Rod Khollesi, who posted 36 points and seven rebounds. That was a full 64.3% of the Tigers' points, marking the fourth time in a row Khollesi has put up more than a third of the team's points. Nick Rios was another key player, putting up ten points.

Artesia and South Pasadena could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. The Pioneers will challenge Woodrow Wilson at 1:45 p.m. on January 1, 2026 with a big rank disadvantage (670 vs. 164). Meanwhile, South Pasadena (ranked 573rd) will meet Kentridge (ranked 18th) at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.