Basketball Recap: Tulelake Takes Loss Despite Strong Efforts from Alejandra Perez and Makenzie Perez

After flying high against Dunsmuir last Tuesday, Tulelake came back down to earth. The Tulelake Honkers took a 52-39 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hayfork Timberjacks on Friday. The Honkers have struggled against the Timberjacks recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.

Despite the loss, Tulelake had strong showings from Makenzie Perez, who went 7 for 15 on her way to 17 points and five steals, and Alejandra Perez, who went 5 of 11 on her way to 11 points in addition to seven rebounds and seven blocks. That's the most blocks Alejandra has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Josefina Mojica, who posted two points and seven rebounds.

Hayfork's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lydia Yarbrough, who put up 13 points in addition to seven boards and seven steals. Yarbrough has been hot, having posted four or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Riley Bayley, who had 17 points.

Tulelake's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 6-9. As for Hayfork, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a massive bump to their 8-7 record this season.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Tulelake will challenge Big Valley at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Tulelake is facing Big Valley at the right time seeing as Big Valley is stuck on a seven-game losing streak. As for Hayfork, they will square off against South Fork at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hayfork will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.