Basketball Recap: Khaliah Mcdonald's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Encina over Futures

Encina was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were four points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 28-24 heartbreaker at the hands of the Futures Knights. Sadly, that's the second time they've come up short against the Bulldogs this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 27-25 on January 3rd.

Encina lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Khaliah McDonald, who posted eight points along with 21 boards and three steals. McDonald is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down 11 or more in the last six games she's played. Another player making a difference was Elise Brandon, who shot 4-for-7 from downtown and dropped a double-double on 14 points and 15 boards.

Bulldogs

Previous 3 Games

01/28/25 @ Futures	24-28
01/24/25 @ John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin	22-24
01/22/25 @ Chesterton Academy of Sacramento	30-34

Even though they lost, Encina smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 16 offensive boards in 16 consecutive matches.

Emma Kharchenko was the offensive standout of the game as she earned eight points in addition to 11 rebounds and seven steals. That's the most steals she has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Nikole Vinokurov, who scored four points along with eight boards and seven steals.

Encina's loss dropped their record down to 5-11. As for Futures, they pushed their record up to 8-12 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.

Encina will welcome Sacramento Waldorf at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Sacramento Waldorf will roll in looking for their tenth straight win, something Encina surely won't give up without a fight. As for Futures, they and John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin will face off at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday without much rest having both just played.