Basketball Recap: Murrieta Mesa Snaps Four-Game Streak of Losses at Home

Murrieta Valley came into Friday's game looking for another win against Murrieta Mesa, but Ray Riley wouldn't allow it. The Murrieta Mesa Rams came out on top against the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks by a score of 64-57 on Friday thanks in part to Riley, who went 7 of 13 from beyond the arc on his way to 28 points and three steals. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points.

The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden Merritt, who posted five points in addition to 15 blocks and six boards. He is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last four games he's played.

Despite the loss, Murrieta Valley saw an underclassman step up: freshman Jaizahn Lewis put up 22 points and eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Parker Steffen, who had 13 points and six assists.

Murrieta Mesa's victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-12. As for Murrieta Valley, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-8 record this season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Murrieta Mesa will take on Temecula Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Temecula Valley's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last nine contests. As for Murrieta Valley, they will square off against Vista Murrieta at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Murrieta Valley is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 71 points per game this season.