Even though the Manteca Buffaloes have not done well against the Kimball Jaguars recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Manteca secured a 51-47 W over Kimball. Given Manteca's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 148th, while Kimball is ranked 306th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Jada Ikharo, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 15 rebounds. Her trending in the right direction, as she's improved his point production for three games straight. Izabella Sanchez was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Several Jaguars players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Emma Coronado, who scored 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sierra Tuliau, who scored ten points along with eight rebounds.
Manteca has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season. As for Kimball, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 12-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Manteca will take on East Union at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. East Union is coming into the match hot, having won their last 14 games. Kimball's road trip will continue as they head out to face Heritage at 7:00 p.m. on January 20th. Heritage is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 55.5 points per game.
