After flying high against the El Modena Vanguards on Wednesday, the Foothill Knights came back down to earth. Foothill was outmatched by Esperanza at home and fell 71-39. While losing is never fun, Foothill can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 653rd, while Esperanza is ranked 43rd).
Foothill lost on Friday despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Elize McAveney, who scored 15 points along with three steals. The match was McAveney's seventh in a row with at least ten points. Jay Perez was another key contributor, scoring six points along with 16 rebounds and three steals.
Esperanza's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Madilyn Lam, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and 13 rebounds. Lam continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Alexa Muller, who scored 13 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds.
Foothill has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-13 record this season. As for Esperanza, their win was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-2.
Foothill will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Brea Olinda at 5:30 p.m. Esperanza won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Mission Hills at 3:00 p.m. on January 6th. Averaging 59.5 so far this season, Mission Hills' high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so Esperanza better be ready for a challenge.
