Basketball Recap: Center Falls Despite Big Games from Aleena Castellanos and Reniaya Applin

Center was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their tenth straight defeat dating back to last season. They came up short against the Rio Linda Knights, falling 57-34. If the Cougars were looking for revenge after losing 41-33 to them when the teams met, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Center's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Reniaya Applin, who posted eight points and seven rebounds, and Aleena Castellanos, who had 14 points. That's the most points Castellanos has posted since back in December of 2023.

Rio Linda's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was LaRay Mitchell, who went 7 of 14 on her way to 16 points along with six boards and six steals. Mitchell has been hot, having posted 15 or more points the last six times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Mariah Walton, who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine steals.

Center's defeat dropped their record down to 0-8. As for Rio Linda, their victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1.

Center didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 42-34 win against Natomas on the 12th. As for Rio Linda, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 71-31 victory against Foothill on the 20th.