The first Monday back from Thanksgiving break, our varsity men’s basketball team saw no break from the action. Matched up against Patriot High School in a San Dimas High School tournament, they looked to capitalize on a 2 game win streak to get over .500 for the first time this season. 

The Warriors had come into the game with a 3-1 record and a chance to go 3 games over .500 in only 5 games. Ayala, however, looked to break .500 after starting the season 1-3 and making up the ground with a 3 game streak.

Both teams held their ground at the neutral site for most of the game, leaving the game decision within 4 points by the end of the fourth quarter. Ayala squeezed past in the end to notch a satisfying 55-51 win.

Ayala will maintain 3rd place in the Palomares standings despite not having played a league game to this point. Their 4-3 record is bested only by Colony and Bonita whose 2-0 and 1-0 records, respectively, do not reflect their true status to this point due to their smaller sample size. 

Tomorrow, the Bulldogs will take their streak into an even tougher tournament matchup against San Marino who is yet to be defeated. Despite their 5-0 record, a neutral tournament site could prove to even the playing field for a hot Ayala team. That same Monday night, San Marino sent a familiar Don Lugo team to the gutters after an 82-47 win marked their 5th in a row.