The Liberty Lions's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They were outmatched by Pinnacle at home and fell 69-29. While losing is never fun, Liberty can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 139th, while the Pioneers are ranked 11th).
Liberty's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ashley Briggs, who scored eight points. Another player making a difference was Makenna Johnson, who scored nine points along with three steals.
Liberty struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Pinnacle pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Pinnacle to victory, but perhaps none more so than Norah Moo, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Abigail Dean, who scored 11 points along with five assists and three steals.
Liberty has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-14 record this season. As for Pinnacle, the win was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 16-6.
Liberty won't have much time to rest: their next game is against the Mountain Lions at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. As for Pinnacle, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against the Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on January 26th. Sunnyslope is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road.
