The Carmel Padres's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They lost to Hilmar on the road by a decisive 54-35 margin. Carmel was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Hilmar apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in December of 2022.
When it comes to explaining why Carmel lost, one person who can't be blamed is Savanna Radowicz. Despite the final result, she scored eight points along with 11 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Radowicz pulled down eight or more rebounds. Myah Koster was another key contributor, scoring five points along with six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Carmel were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Lilly Garza continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Hilmar, scoring 24 points. That's the first time this season that Garza scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Alicia Souza, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 15 rebounds.
Carmel's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Hilmar, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.
Carmel will be playing in front of their home fans against Soquel at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Soquel is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'. Hilmar won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Pacific Grove at 4:00 p.m. on December 9th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in California (Pacific Grove is ranked 701st, while Hilmar is ranked 676th).
