Basketball Recap: Make It Five in a Row for Piner

Piner proved they can win big last Wednesday (they won by 20) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rancho Cotate Cougars, sneaking past 59-56. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Prospectors have posted since January 17, 2024.

Piner's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brendan Walker, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten boards. Walker is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 17 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden Hernandez, who posted 14 points in addition to eight boards and five steals.

Rancho Cotate's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Adam Pengel, who scored 26 points and five rebounds, and Izayah Rush, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine boards. The dominant performance also gave Pengel a new career-high in blocks (two). Sebastian Barham Hernandez also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

The win was the fifth in a row for Piner, bringing their record for this year to 14-8. As for Rancho Cotate, with the loss, they broke their seven-game winning streak and moved their record to 16-3.

Piner and Rancho Cotate should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. Piner (ranked 396th) will meet Ukiah (ranked 839th) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Piner will be looking to keep their four-game home win streak alive. Similarly, Rancho Cotate will face off against Elsie Allen at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday up 845 places (219 vs. 1064). Piner is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.2 points per game this season.