The Sunnyslope Vikings came tearing into Tuesday's match with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past Liberty 58-37. Given Sunnyslope's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked third, while Liberty is ranked 43rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Rider Portela continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 22 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Jai Anthoni Bearden, who scored 15 points along with six rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Liberty lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jackson Hunter. Despite the final result, he scored 13 points.
Sunnyslope's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. As for Liberty, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-9.
Sunnyslope's road trip will continue as they head out to face O'Connor at 7:00 p.m. on January 18th. As for Liberty, they will be playing at home against Sunrise Mountain at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Sunrise Mountain focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 21 on Tuesday.
