Basketball Recap: Natomas Find Success

Natomas hadn't done well against Rocklin recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Natomas Nighthawks escaped with a win against the Rocklin Thunder by the margin of a single free throw, 80-79. The Nighthawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Natomas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Aeron Wallace led the charge by going 9 for 15 on his way to 26 points in addition to five assists and five boards. Wallace's evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Alfred Wilkins, who went 6 of 9 from beyond the arc on his way to 27 points.

Wallace wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Natomas was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Rocklin's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Mark Lavrenov, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 16 boards, and Connor Delaby, who went 8 of 19 on his way to 21 points in addition to six assists and three steals. Lavrenov has been hot for a while, having posted eight or more boards the last 20 times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Connor Bow, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 12 points.

Natomas pushed their record up to 2-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.0 points per game. As for Rocklin, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.

Natomas wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 71-53 victory against McClymonds on the 6th. As for Rocklin, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, an 81-66 win against Freedom on the 5th.