Basketball Recap: Hayward Comes Up Short

Hayward played a tough game on Wednesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 62-28 defeat at the hands of the Rancho Cotate Cougars. While losing is never fun, the Farmers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 935th, while the Cougars are ranked 463rd).

Several Farmers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Liiana Aranda, who posted 18 points and five steals. That was a full 64.3% of Hayward's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Elianna Sega, who put up four points in addition to 11 boards and six blocks.

Farmers

Previous 5 Games

12/18/24 vs Rancho Cotate	28-62
12/16/24 @ Benicia	28-51
12/14/24 vs San Mateo	22-52
12/13/24 @ Terra Nova	33-53
12/12/24 vs Menlo-Atherton	13-68

Even though they lost, Hayward smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Rancho Cotate's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Isabella Scardina led the charge by putting up four points along with seven rebounds, seven steals, and six assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Fredlund, who made all 7 shots she took to post 14 points.

Hayward's loss dropped their record down to 1-8. As for Rancho Cotate, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hayward will take on Bethel in a holiday battle at at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Rancho Cotate and Berkeley will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.