The Elsinore Tigers struggled with offensive rebounds on Friday (the Canyon Springs Cougars had 15 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Elsinore took a 37-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of Canyon Springs. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Elsinore in their matchups with Canyon Springs: they've now lost three in a row.
Elsinore's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Niara Smith, who scored seven points along with 16 rebounds and two steals, and Ashirah Williams who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Williams hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Leeandra Bermudez was another key contributor, scoring two points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Canyon Springs' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Izabella Tejada led the charge by dropping a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds. Tejada hasn't dropped below two steals for nine straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaleayah Marshall, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 14 rebounds.
Elsinore now has a losing record at 10-11. As for Canyon Springs, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 9-9 record this season.
Elsinore won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Chino Hills at 12:00 p.m. on January 13th. Chino Hills presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Elsinore in California (Chino Hills is ranked 179th, while Elsinore is ranked 777th). As for Canyon Springs, they will head out on the road to square off against Vista del Lago at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Vista del Lago is out to stop a seven-game streak of losses at home.
