The Escondido Cougars's game last Wednesday was a tough loss, but they didn't let that memory haunt them on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Mt. Carmel and snuck past 53-51. The victory was all the more spectacular given Escondido's disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 919th, while Mt. Carmel is ranked 413th).
When it comes to explaining why Mt. Carmel lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jimmy Milder. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Erias Bandoy, who scored seven points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Escondido's win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-13. As for Mt. Carmel, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-10.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Escondido will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against San Dieguito Academy at 7:00 p.m. on January 27th. San Dieguito Academy has now lost 13 straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 20. As for Mt. Carmel, they will head out on the road to square off against Victory Christian Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Victory Christian Academy is on a five-game streak of home wins, Mt. Carmel a four-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court.
