Even though the Saddleback Roadrunners scored an imposing 64 points on Wednesday, the Rio Hondo Prep Kares still came out on top. Rio Hondo Prep wrapped up 2023 with a 80-64 win over Saddleback. The win made it back-to-back wins for Rio Hondo Prep.
Alex Mustain was the offensive standout of the game as he dropped a double-double on 21 points and 20 rebounds. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Derek David, who scored 13 points.
Several Roadrunners players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Christopher Trotter, who scored 24 points along with eight rebounds. Trotter scored a full 37.5% of Saddleback's points, the seventh time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Jared Quero was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with seven assists.
Rio Hondo Prep now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Saddleback, they are on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-12.
Rio Hondo Prep will finish 2023 at home by hosting Azusa at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Azusa is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road. Saddleback won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Bellflower at 12:30 p.m. on December 28, 2023. Bellflower presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Saddleback in California (Bellflower is ranked 482nd, while Saddleback is ranked 1201st).
