The Manteca Buffaloes had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.3 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 44-41 victory over Sierra. Given Manteca's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 232nd, while the Timberwolves are ranked 499th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Peyton Nieman, who went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points and 0 assists. Micah Crawford was another key contributor, scoring five points along with 18 rebounds.
Manteca's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-8. As for Sierra, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-11 record this season.
Manteca will be playing at home against the Lancers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. East Union has now lost nine straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since January 3. As for Sierra, they will head out on the road to take on the Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
