ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The Sheldon Huskies girls’ basketball team visited Monterey Trail on Wednesday, Jan. 14 for a top matchup between two of the top three teams of the Delta League.

Monterey Trail had come into this game 9-5 on the season and 2-0 in league play with back-to-back league wins against Pleasant Grove 50-43 and Franklin 63-36.    

Sheldon had an overall record of 10-6 and 2-0 in league play, coming off back to back league wins, against Elk Grove 50-47 and Cosumnes Oaks 67-62.            

        

Both the Huskies and Mustangs were looking to start a winning streak to be 3-0 in league play, but they were each in the other’s way.                      

The game started with Sheldon winning the tip-off. Both offenses were slow out of the gates and were both playing great defense, not allowing any easy points. 

The low-scoring first quarter ended with the Mustangs leading 9-6.       

Though defense seemed to be leading to be a low scoring contest, both offenses found a spark going into the second quarter.

Mustang’s #5 Alayah Leali Looking to Find Open Teammate Down Court 

Each team drove to the hoop and saw good opportunities to score points, and both defenses played tight coverage and contested shots.     

The Mustangs held the lead going into halftime, but Sheldon still managed to keep it a three-point game at 23-20.      

Coming out of halftime, both teams continued to play hard, bringing more physicality and intensity, fighting and diving for loose balls, not giving an inch. The Mustangs were trying to pull away while Sheldon was trying to continue to close the gap.        

This Sheldon was able to do. The Huskies were able to get it down to a one-point game going into the fourth quarter.                

With the score at 38-37, both teams knew that each possession counted.         

 

Mustang Alaziah Akinmurele, No. 0, blocks Brooklyn Kimmons’ layup attempt. 

They both continued to play scrappy, as Monterey Trail’s No. 20, Jameise Stigler, and Sheldon’s No. 22, Saniah Wiley, went back and forth making big shots and big free throws. Stigler dominated the paint for the Mustangs, while Wiley seemed to be unguardable from three.    

Sheldon was able to take the lead late in the fourth quarter after playing great defense in the later stretch of the game, while making clutch shots.                         

The Huskies were able to hold on in the closing seconds, winning 55-52. This pushed Sheldon to 11-6 on the season and 3-0 in league play and started their winning streak.

This also prevented the Mustangs from starting a winning streak and dropped them to 9-6 on the season and 2-1 in league play.