The Cheyenne Desert Shields's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They fell just short of Mater Academy East Las Vegas by a score of 42-40.
Nita Franklin and Jacquline Soncini certainly did their best on Thursday to try and avoid the loss. Franklin dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds, while Soncini scored nine points along with 13 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Franklin scored 15 or more points. Jasmin Hidalga was another key contributor, scoring five points.
Even though they lost, Cheyenne were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Cheyenne's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Mater Academy East Las Vegas, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 4-3 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cheyenne will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Bonanza at 6:30 p.m. on January 4, 2024. Mater Academy East Las Vegas will finish 2023 at home by hosting Villa Park at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Villa Park will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in their respective state's rankings (they are ranked 327th in California, while Mater Academy East Las Vegas is ranked 52nd in Nevada).
