Basketball Recap: Canyon Comes Up Short

Canyon was the 60-47 winner over Valencia when they last played one another back in January of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Canyon Cowboys lost 75-49 to the Valencia Vikings on Tuesday. The Cowboys were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 43-19.

Despite the loss, Canyon still got an impressive performance from Darby Dunn, who posted 16 points in addition to seven assists and six boards. Dunn is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 16 or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Shannen Wilson, who put up 12 points and five rebounds.

Valencia's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kamilla Basyrova, who went 11 of 19 on her way to 27 points in addition to eight rebounds and six assists. The dominant performance gave Basyrova a new career-high in assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Keira McLaughlin, who went 8 of 14 on her way to 21 points along with seven boards and four blocks.

Canyon has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-10 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.4 points per game. As for Valencia, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-3 record this season.

Canyon and Valencia should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps California Rankings. Canyon (ranked 238th) will meet Castaic (ranked 855th) at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Canyon is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.3 points per game this season. Meanwhile, Valencia (ranked 73rd) will meet Golden Valley (ranked 766th) at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.