The Chico Panthers won the last time they faced the Red Bluff Spartans, and things went their way on Friday too. Chico came out on top in a nail-biter against Red Bluff and snuck past 51-49. Given Chico's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 371st, while Red Bluff is ranked 784th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Adam Brott continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 14 points along with five assists and three steals. He also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Another player making a difference was Rakim Young-Thomas, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.
Despite the defeat, Red Bluff saw an underclassman step up: Bryce Owens dropped a double-double on 13 points and 16 rebounds. Owens also grabbed two steals for the first time this season.
Chico is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-10 record this season. As for Red Bluff, they have been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-16 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Chico will take on Foothill at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Chico is coming into the game with three straight victories on the road, meaning Foothill will have to defend against a team hungry for a victory. As for Red Bluff, they will challenge Enterprise at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Enterprise focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 12 on Friday.
