Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Catalina Foothills couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They came up short against the Pinnacle Pioneers on Thursday, falling 53-32. While losing is never fun, the Falcons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 41st, while the Pioneers are ranked fifth).
Clara Mae Hager and Kayanna Chief certainly did their best on Thursday to avoid the loss. Hager posted 14 points, while Chief earned eight points and five rebounds.
Pinnacle was led to victory by Norah Moo and Rylee Fraley. Moo dropped a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards, while Fraley almost dropped a double-double with nine points and 11 assists. The game was Moo's fourth in a row with at least 17 points. Claire Carnal was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Catalina Foothills' defeat dropped their record down to 21-6. As for Pinnacle, they are on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-5 record this season.
Catalina Foothills and Pinnacle are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Catalina Foothills will host Willow Canyon at 7:00 p.m. on February 27th. Willow Canyon has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 175 points over their last three contests. As for Pinnacle, they will venture away from home to square off against Mesquite at 7:00 p.m. on February 27th. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Mesquite sitting on 15 straight victories and Pinnacle on eight.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
