The Great Oak Wolfpack won the last time they faced the Chaparral Pumas, and things went their way on Friday too. Great Oak sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 53-50 victory over Chaparral. Given Great Oak's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 211th, while Chaparral is ranked 433rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Great Oak's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Morgan Grayton, who scored 20 points along with five rebounds. That's the first time this season that Grayton scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Bri Thomas, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Chaparral's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Zetta Faasua, who scored 15 points along with eight rebounds and two steals, and Angela Dela Cruz who scored 14 points. Dela Cruz continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Maya Ford was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with 11 rebounds.
Great Oak's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-7. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.7 points per game. As for Chaparral, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-11.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Great Oak will square off against Temecula Valley at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Chaparral will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against Murrieta Valley at 5:30 p.m. on January 30th. Murrieta Valley and Chaparral are at an even 5-5 over their past ten head-to-heads.
