The Santa Fe Chiefs's four-game losing streak came to an end on Wednesday. In a tight game that could have gone either way, they made off with a 43-42 victory over El Rancho. The win was just what Santa Fe needed coming off of a 64-26 loss in their prior matchup.
Santa Fe was led to victory by Emily Collins and Natalie Rivera. Collins scored 12 points along with six rebounds, while Rivera scored 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Despite the defeat, El Rancho saw an underclassman step up: Emery Riker dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 rebounds. That was a full 35.7% of El Rancho's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylene Sicairos, who scored eight points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Santa Fe's win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 10-11. As for El Rancho, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-10 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Santa Fe on the road again on Wednesday and play against La Serna at 5:00 p.m. on January 24th. La Serna will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive. As for El Rancho, they will head out on the road to take on California at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. California presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than El Rancho in California (California is ranked 279th, while El Rancho is ranked 631st).