Winning is just a little bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 18 to ten on the offensive boards, a fact the Mission Oak Hawks proved on Thursday. They put the hurt on Tulare Union with a sharp 51-31 win. Given Mission Oak's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 265th, while Tulare Union is ranked 685th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mission Oak's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Sierra Calantas, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 16 rebounds. Isabella Zepeda was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Tulare Union lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Kayloni Cox, who scored eight points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Mason Hatton, who scored four points along with five rebounds and three blocks.
Mission Oak has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-8 record this season. As for Tulare Union, they are on a eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 10-17.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Mission Oak will take on Hanford at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mission Oak has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Tulare Union, they will be playing at home against Dinuba at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Tulare Union is coming into the contest with three straight defeats at home, meaning Dinuba will have to defend against a team hungry for a victory.
