The Aptos Mariners pushed their score all the way to 59 on Thursday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of St. Mary's by a score of 61-59. While losing is never fun, Aptos can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 283rd, while St. Mary's is ranked 38th).
When it comes to explaining why Aptos lost, one person who can't be blamed is Isaiah Ackerman. Despite the final result, he scored 15 points. The match was Ackerman's 12th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Luke Garvey, who scored 11 points.
Leading St. Mary's to victory were Cayden Ward and Daniel Huerta. Ward scored 19 points along with nine rebounds and six assists, while Huerta scored 26 points along with four steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Huerta has scored at least 25% of St. Mary's points. Alex Perasso was another key contributor, scoring four points along with six rebounds.
Aptos' loss dropped their record down to 7-5. As for St. Mary's, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-2.
Aptos will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against North Monterey County at 4:00 p.m. on December 29, 2023. North Monterey County is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak. St. Mary's won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Los Gatos at 8:00 p.m. on December 29, 2023. One thing working in Los Gatos' favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last three games.
