Struggling Pirates Face Roadrunners in Valentine’s Day Clash

PALM DESERT, Calif. (Interstat) — The Desert College Roadrunners will look to sweep the season series from the visiting Palo Verde Pirates when the women’s junior college basketball teams meet Saturday.

The matchup at Desert (10-12 overall) tips off at 3 p.m. PST and pits two California community college programs on divergent tracks. The Roadrunners enter having won three of their last five, including a 75-61 victory over San Bernardino Valley on Feb. 7. The Pirates (3-22) are mired in a five-game losing streak, most recently a 109-31 home defeat to Copper Mountain on that same date.

Desert has dominated the recent head-to-head meetings, winning 88-43 at Palo Verde on Jan. 14 and 81-51 on Nov. 8.

A key matchup will feature two standout forwards. Desert’s Mia Aceituno is coming off a strong all-around performance, posting 14 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the win over San Bernardino Valley. For Palo Verde, Jennifer Hughes has been a consistent bright spot. She averages a double-double and recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Pirates’ last victory, a 57-48 win over Barstow on Jan. 28. In the teams’ January meeting, however, Desert limited Hughes’ impact.

The Roadrunners’ offense will lean on Aceituno alongside guards Audrey Tijerina, who scored 24 points in the last outing, and Giovanna Espinoza. Palo Verde, which has struggled offensively all season, will need secondary scoring beyond Hughes. Anaiah Brown and Ikaylah Woods provided some support in the last game.

Following this contest, Desert will host Victor Valley on Feb. 18. Palo Verde returns home to face Mount San Jacinto on that same date.