The Rancho Rams struggled with offensive rebounds on Wednesday (the Sierra Vista Mountain Lions had 12 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Rancho took a 61-54 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mountain Lions. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Rancho in their matchups with the Mountain Lions: they've now lost three in a row.
Taylor Dagons and Claudia Vargas-Arellano certainly did their best on Wednesday to avoid the loss. Dagons almost dropped a double-double on 33 points and nine rebounds, while Vargas-Arellano scored 12 points along with seven assists and six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Dagons has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Jaelle Phipps, who scored three points along with ten rebounds.
Sierra Vista found their leader in underclassman Donnayja Gibson, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Gibson is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last ten games she's played. Jaya Duckworth was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Rancho's defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 11-8. As for Sierra Vista, the victory was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 15-5.
Rancho will head out on the road to square off against the Gators at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Sierra Vista, they will be playing in front of their home fans against the Spartans at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Nevada (Cimarron-Memorial is ranked 35th, while the Mountain Lions are ranked 27th).
