The Pioneer girls basketball team won an important road game Thursday night, defeating Evergreen Valley, 55-52, thanks to a strong performance on the boards. The Mustangs advanced to 8-7 (5-2 in the BVAL-Mount Hamilton Division) while the Cougars dropped to 4-12 (2-5).
The main downfall of the Cougars was rebounding. Twin senior forwards Rachel Baity and Leah Baity overwhelmed the Cougars, picking up 21 combined rebounds out of the team’s total of 35.
Rachel Baity concluded the night with 18 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks while her sister Leah added two points, 12 rebounds, a steal and a block for the Mustangs.
However, the Baity twins were not the only force to be reckoned with. Senior guard Jessy Marshall handled much of the ballhandling duties for Pioneer, often breaking the Cougars' full-court press singlehandedly and finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and a handful of assists.
The Cougars, on the other hand, featured excellent outside shooting. Junior guard Joelle Carriaga opened the game loud with a deep three-pointer that brought the Cougars momentum. Carriaga ended with 19 points and two rebounds. Though the Cougars were motivated to beat the Mustangs, they were outmatched down low.
Evergreen will visit the Piedmont Hills Pirates while the Mustangs will travel to Westmont on 1/24. Both games tip off at 7:00 PM.
