The Aptos Mariners are taking a road trip to face off against the Scotts Valley Falcons at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Saturday, Aptos didn't have too much trouble with Harbor as they won 43-29. Given the Mariners' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 515th, while the Pirates are ranked 1167th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/25/25 vs Harbor | 3 |
| 01/23/25 vs Santa Cruz | 2 |
| 01/21/25 @ Soquel | 4 |
| 01/17/25 @ San Lorenzo Valley | 5 |
Aptos' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Berkeley Ashby, who posted eight points along with six rebounds and three steals. Ashby is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Abby Sherwood, who scored ten points and five boards.
Meanwhile, Scotts Valley entered their tilt with Soquel on Saturday with nine consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with ten. They were the clear victor by a 56-32 margin over the Knights. The Falcons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matches by 21 points or more this season.
Scotts Valley's win came from a few key players Aptos will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brooklyn Williams, who put up 25 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals. Those 25 points gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Samantha Rebbert, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 steals.
Scotts Valley pushed their record up to 15-2 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.4 points per game. As for Aptos, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 11-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Aptos has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Scotts Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Aptos lost to Scotts Valley on the road by a decisive 46-28 margin when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can Aptos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
