Liberty won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Thursday. They had to suffer through a 71-34 loss at the hands of the Vasquez Mustangs. While losing is never fun, the Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 972nd, while the Mustangs are ranked 477th).
Liberty's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gavin Pattan, who posted ten points. Thiago Garica was another key player, putting up nine points.
Vasquez's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Noah Rowley, who went 8 of 13 on his way to 16 points and seven rebounds. Rowley is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Daeron Bankett, who went 5 of 6 en route to 12 points and four steals.
Liberty dropped their record down to 6-9 with the loss, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Vasquez, their record now sits at 10-5.
Liberty will be playing in front of their home fans against Madera South at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Madera South's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups. As for Vasquez, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 91-54 win against Lancaster Baptist on the 3rd.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
