By Nathaniel A. Lopez
On Jan. 31, the San Manuel Boys Basketball team traveled to Tucson to face off against the The Gregory School. It was a tough night for the Miners, who suffered a loss of 37-52.
The following day, both the boys and girls basketball teams traveled to play in Superior. The Lady Miners walked away with a 12-point win over the Lady Panthers, beating them with a 43-31 final score. The boys team played a tough game, but in the end fell short by 7 points. The Miners lost to the Panthers in the 42-49 game. That game concluded the boys 2021-2022 basketball season.
On Feb. 4, the Lady Miners traveled to Gilbert to play against Lincoln Prep. The girls played a tough game, going neck and neck with Lincoln Prep into overtime. The Lady Miners fell in overtime, with a final score of 50-56.
“We’ve had a lot of obstacles thrown in our way this season, and we’ve played most of our games with six or seven players on the roster, but I’m feeling very confident that we’re going to surprise some teams in the playoffs,” commented Rome Porras-Romero, Lady Miners Head Coach. “Aubrey Encinas is leading the division in points and rebounds. Natalye Pinedo is leading in assists and steals. If the whole team plays to their part, there’s no limit to what they can do.”
The girls will travel to Salome on Feb. 9, competing in the 1A Conference Play-In. The Lady Miners who are ranked #14 will face off against the #3 ranked team the Salome Frogs. The game is set to start at 5:30 p.m. at Salome High School.