Mission Oak played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against the Hanford Bullpups, falling 81-57. 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 773rd, while the Bullpups are ranked 300th).
Several Hawks players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jennuwynn Portillo, who went 5 of 8 on his way to 12 points and eight boards. Those 12 points gave Portillo a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Malakai Rodriguez, who posted 14 points in addition to five assists and three steals.
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Even though they lost, Mission Oak smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 19 consecutive games.
Mission Oak has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-12 record this season. As for Hanford, they pushed their record up to 14-7 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Mission Oak will host Dinuba at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Mission Oak knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matchups -- so hopefully Dinuba likes a good challenge. As for Hanford, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Lemoore at 7:15 p.m. Lemoore is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 59.9 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
