Generals get first league basketball win

The Shafter High Generals boys basketball team got its first SSL win of the season by beating Kennedy High School, 56-47.

The Shafter Generals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Monday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 74-64 to McFarland. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.

Shafter's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Shaun Maldonado, who scored 23 points, and Aidan Cardenas, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 10 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Cardenas pulled down eight or more rebounds.

Another player making a difference was Hector Cruz, who scored four points along with eight rebounds and four steals.

Shafter has not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last eight games. But the Generals did bounce back after a tough loss to McFarland to step it up against Kennedy. The team improved drastically on offense, spreading the ball out and making smart shots.

Shafter then headed to Delano to take on the Tigers. Delano has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up 300 points over their last five games. The Generals played the Tigers very tough but came up just short of a victory.

After their win against Kennedy, the Generals will now take on their rivals the Wasco Tigers on Thursday night. The games begin at 4 p.m., and the varsity is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m.