The Santana Sultans's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a 60-47 hit to the loss column at the hands of El Capitan. Santana has not had much luck with El Capitan recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.
Santana's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was AJ Kane, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jeffrey Van Oostende, who scored 11 points.
El Capitan's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Andy Novelo-Gerardo, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 21 rebounds. Novelo-Gerardo is absolutely dominating the block category: he's posted at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Jason Wilson was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with two steals.
Santana's loss was their fourth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 8-12. As for El Capitan, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which lines up perfectly with their 15-5 record this season.
Santana will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Mount Miguel at 6:30 p.m. Mount Miguel presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Santana in California (Mount Miguel is ranked 446th, while Santana is ranked 989th). As for El Capitan, they will head out on the road to take on Grossmont at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
