It's playoff time, and Santa Ynez had no trouble coming through when it counted. They strolled past the Pioneer Valley Panthers with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 52-33. Given the Pirates' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 285th, while the Panthers are ranked 773rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Santa Ynez got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lexi Molera out in front who posted ten points along with five assists and three steals. Molera is becoming a predictor of Santa Ynez's success: when she posts at least three steals the team is 7-1 (and 8-9 when she doesn't). Helina Pecile was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to six assists and five boards.
Pirates
| 02/14/25 vs Pioneer Valley | 23 |
| 02/11/25 @ Templeton | 10 |
| 02/07/25 @ Paso Robles | 8 |
| 02/04/25 vs Lompoc | 16 |
| 01/31/25 @ San Luis Obispo | 7 |
| + 22 more games |
Santa Ynez smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Santa Ynez 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. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.0 points over those games. As for Pioneer Valley, they dropped their record down to 7-13 with the loss, which was their fourth straight on the road.
Coming up, Santa Ynez will be playing in front of their home fans against Coalinga at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Coalinga will roll in looking for their fourth straight win, something Santa Ynez surely won't give up without a fight. Pioneer Valley does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
