The Chico Panthers waltzed into their contest on Thursday with five straight wins but they left with six. They walked away with a 51-43 win over Shasta. Given Chico's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 102nd, while Shasta is ranked 260th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Chico was led to victory by Josie Carlos and Taylee Clements. Carlos scored 13 points along with five steals, while Clements dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that Clements pulled down eight or more rebounds. Corrina Stephens was another key contributor, scoring six points along with two blocks.
Shasta lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Riley Rosales, who scored 14 points. Another player making a difference was Bria Tate, who scored 12 points along with four steals.
Chico pushed their record up to 15-7 with that victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.6 points per game. As for Shasta, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-9 record this season.
Chico will square off against Dublin at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Dublin is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak. As for Shasta, they will be playing at home against Red Bluff at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Red Bluff is coming into the game on a six-game losing streak.
