Orange County girls basketball stat leaders, Jan. 22

• January 23, 2024

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

The Orange County girls basketball stat leaders through Jan. 20.

The leaderboards are based on stats published on MaxPreps.com.

SCORING

Name, school
GP
Pts
PPG

Allison Clarke, Rosary
17
516
30.4

Adyra Rajan, Fairmont Prep
25
501
20.4

Rylee Bradley, Marina
24
487
20.3

Jatniel Cabrera, Whittier Christian
19
383
20.2

Teresa Martinez, Magnolia
16
319
19.9

Anna Shreeve, San Juan Hills
22
431
19.6

Madilyn Lam, Esperanza
21
407
19.4

Kayla Rice, Dana Hills
22
424
19.3

Sophia Rangel, Loara
19
356
18.7

Aryanna Hudson, San Juan Hills
22
367
16.7

Mia Cubacub, El Toro
22
367
16.7

Charlotte Muller, Esperanza
21
349
16.6

Sydney Norwood, Crean Lutheran
19
307
16.2

Alana White, Buena Park
17
268
15.8

Elvira Chavez Trujillo, MSA
8
123
15.4

Elise Marquez, Anaheim
20
306
15.3

Gisele Martinez, Anaheim
22
327
14.9

Kiana Graham, Sonora
8
118
14.8

Hana Watanabe, Woodbridge
22
322
14.6

3-POINTERS

Name, school
3PM
3PA
3P%

Adyra Rajan, Fairmont Prep
88
—
—

Charlotte Muller, Esperanza
72
213
34

Alissa Belen, Orangewood
60
—
—

Charlotte Fajardo, Foothill
59
207
29

Lauryn Ham, Pacifica Christian
58
193
30

Taylor Parra, Sunny Hills
56
167
34

Madeleine Hsu, Kennedy
54
139
39

Aryanna Hudson, San Juan Hills
54
157
34

Jatniel Cabrera, Whittier Christian
53
198
27

Lizzie Yasui, Woodbridge
52
171
30

Elize McAveney, Foothill
51
192
27

Kiana Graham, Sonora
49
122
40

Bridget Boyd, El Toro
49
179
27

Katie Nguyen, La Quinta
44
173
25

Hana Watanabe, Woodbridge
43
100
43

Gisele Martinez, Anaheim
42
120
35

Ariana Botello, Whittier Christian
41
143
29

Faith Ledesma, Segerstrom
39
128
30

Liz Han, Brea Olinda
34
—
—

Caylie Villagrana, Pacifica Christian
33
83
40

Zoe Sanborn, Whittier Christian
33
104
32

Mayra Soltero, Godinez
33
118
28

Alexa Muller, Esperanza
32
90
36

Teagan Burrus, Woodbridge
32
104
31

Quinsey Bryan, Crean Lutheran
32
122
26

Anna Shreeve, San Juan Hills
31
106
29

Isabella Caceres, Cypress
31
134
23

REBOUNDS

Name, school
GP
Reb
RPG

Jay Perez, Foothill
22
294
13.4

Alana White, Buena Park
17
210
12.4

Faith Harper, Mission Viejo
18
192
10.7

Riyin Stewart, Kennedy
12
127
10.6

Sophia Boyer, Los Amigos
15
154
10.3

Sophia Rangel, Loara
20
198
9.9

Bella Harmon, Buena Park
20
186
9.3

Kayla Rice, Dana Hills
22
193
8.8

Milan Heisdorf, Woodbridge
14
129
8.4

Katelyn Vo, La Quinta
23
192
8.3

Zoe Sanborn, Whittier Christian
20
164
8.2

Mia Cubacub, El Toro
22
180
8.2

Adyra Rajan, Fairmont Prep
25
205
8.2

Leah Lee, Oxford Academy
21
170
8.1

ASSISTS

Name, school
GP
Ast
APG

Elise Marquez, Anaheim
20
123
6.2

Hana Watanabe, Woodbridge
22
126
5.7

Aryanna Hudson, San Juan Hills
23
114
5.0

Lola Bellon, Dana Hills
22
107
4.9

Madilyn Lam, Esperanza
22
105
4.8

Bella Harmon, Buena Park
20
93
4.6

Alexa Muller, Esperanza
17
74
4.4

Mariana Mina, El Toro
22
94
4.3

Elizabeth Tirona, Kennedy
20
82
4.1

Jatniel Cabrera, Whittier Christian
19
75
3.9

Isabella Caceres, Cypress
19
72
3.8

Dulce Espinoza, Loara
21
78
3.7

Madison Dellner, Dana Hills
22
79
3.6

Ariana Navarro, Kennedy
20
69
3.4

Bailey Roczey, Villa Park
23
78
3.4

Teagen Burrus, Woodbridge
22
69
3.1

Sophia Rangel, Loara
20
62
3.1

Sydney Peterson, San Juan Hills
19
57
3.0

Aleah McGregor, Anaheim
22
65
3.0

Kayla Rice, Dana Hills
22
65
3.0

​ Orange County Register 

Struggling Kings salvage a point but fall to Sharks in shootout

• January 23, 2024

LOS ANGELES — With a chance to establish a winning record at home for the first time this season, the Kings fell flat against a team they have dominated.

Fighting off a two-goal deficit against the San Jose Sharks, a late equalizer by Drew Doughty sent the game to overtime before the Kings came up short in a shootout for a 4-3 loss on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. While they salvaged a point against the last-place team in the NHL, it was the Kings’ 11th loss in the past 13 games.

Sharks captain Logan Couture joined Fabian Zetterland with shootout conversions against Kings goalkeeper David Rittich, while both Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe were denied by Finnish netminder Kaapo Kahkonen.

Zetterland opened the scoring in the second period. Fellow Swede William Eklund then added to the tally, putting the Kings in a hole they struggled to dig themselves out of.

The Kings (22-13-9, 53 points) drew one back before the second intermission on Trevor Moore’s team-leading 21st goal of the season, and they added a pair in the final 20 minutes, Quinton Byfield before Doughty, offsetting the Sharks’ third goal courtesy of Justin Bailey.

“You should be able to win a game scoring three right now, and we weren’t able to do that tonight,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “The last two goals against were very preventable.”

The late-game drama materialized due to the Kings’ early listlessness following a strong performance on Saturday against the New York Rangers.

After the first intermission, the Sharks (12-31-4, 28 points) made the Kings pay for mismanaged chances.

On a delayed penalty call, Zetterlund jumped on a blocked shot in the slot, whacking the puck past Rittich for his 14th goal at 7:46.

San Jose got to Rittich again less than two minutes later. Going the length of the ice in a blink, center Nico Sturm dished the puck to Eklund, who snapped it from the left circle across the goalie’s glove side for his eighth goal of the year at 9:08.

Moore seemed to resuscitate the Kings as the second period neared its conclusion.

Off Kevin Fiala’s 29th assist, the 28-year-old Thousand Oaks native got on the puck at the blue line, charged down the right side and snapped a beauty of a shot into the upper corner near the far post at 17:06.

Halving their deficit gave the Kings something to feel positive about heading into the third, and that was evident when the teams returned to the ice.

One game after heading to the third line to play center, Byfield found himself back on the wing alongside Anze Kopitar and Kempe, who were disconnected and ineffective playing with Pierre-Luc Dubois through two periods.

“I didn’t think they had a lot going,” McLellan said. “I thought they needed a little more energy.”

Holding the puck in the Sharks’ end, Byfield extended play as the refurbished first line searched for an equalizer. By the time the puck was cycled around, the talented 21-year-old Canadian, parked directly in front of the San Jose net, made the most of a nifty assist from Kempe 93 seconds into the third period for his 14th goal of the season.

Whatever momentum the Kings generated during the course of their comeback was stymied by the Sharks at 6:17, when the visitors rushed down the ice and Bailey netted his third of the season between Rittich’s legs.

Despite his strong effort, a misplayed clearance from Kahkonen sent the puck into the stands, prompting a delay of game that gave Doughty a chance to send it to overtime.

The defenseman’s 11th goal of the year, off assists from Fiala and Byfield, came when he buried a slap shot that rippled the net high on Kahkonen’s glove side with 1:58 left in regulation.

Neither team found a game-winner in overtime, leading to the deciding shootout.

Kahkonen denied Moore and Kempe, while Sharks captain Logan Couture, who made his season debut on Saturday after missing 45 games with a lower-body injury, and Zetterlund, the evening’s initial goal scorer, bested Rittich twice on his glove side.

Kahkonen had 44 saves, while Rittich had 27.

Related Articles

The Kings, now 1-5 in shootouts, saw their franchise-record six-game winning streak against the Sharks come to an end and Rittich snapped his stick in frustration.

The Kings are 8-8-6 at home (2-7-4 in their last 13 games) with one more date on Wednesday night before a three-game road trip leading into the NHL All-Star break.

“I wouldn’t say the season is slipping away but I would say there’s concern and some frustration,” McLellan said. “Definitely frustration.”

NOTES

Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro did not return after he was hurt on a hit into the boards by Kings center Trevor Lewis late in the second. Ferraro tried to take a warmup lap before the start of the third but immediately went back to the dressing room. … Kings defenseman Matt Roy was a late scratch after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier on Monday. … The Kings host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

San Clemente boys basketball holds off Trabuco Hills to stay unbeaten in league

• January 23, 2024

SAN CLEMENTE — A year ago, San Clemente’s boys basketball team had its worst season since 2006 and went winless in the South Coast League.

It’s a much different story this season.

The Tritons outlasted Trabuco Hills 45-41 Monday to improve its South Coast League record to 4-0.

San Clemente, which is 19-5 overall and ranked No. 22 in Orange County, has beaten every other team in the league and has four league games remaining.

“We were very young last year and the South Coast League is always a slugfest,” San Clemente second-year coach Landon Pluimer said. “Our guys worked really hard in the offseason. They hit the weights hard and got extra shots up. It’s a great start but we are only halfway there.”

San Clemente led by 10 points in the third quarter, but Trabuco Hills (17-7, 2-2) rallied back and tied the game midway through the fourth quarter.

The Tritons led by three with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Trabuco Hills center Matt Mowers got an offensive rebound and passed it to Sam Meza-Tallada, who was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer.

Meza-Tallada made one of the three free throws and Porter Hansen made a pair of free throws on the other end to seal the game for San Clemente.

“It was a tough game,” Pluimer said. “They have a lot of threats and are super well-coached. Our guys battled and we just made a few more shots than they did.”

Making shots was a challenge for Trabuco Hills throughout the game, partly due to the San Clemente defense. The Mustangs made just one of 21 3-point attempts and their 41 points are a season low.

“Our goal is to play hard on every possession and finish with a box out,” Pluimer said. “They have so many threats to score that it makes it tough, but we did a pretty good job tonight.”

San Clemente was led on both ends of the floor by Chase Tolliver, who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. The junior had 22 rebounds last week in a win against Capistrano Valley.

“He’s one of our strongest guys and he just goes after it,” Pluimer said of Tolliver. “He’s not that tall but he finds ways to get in there. Those extra possessions he gave us got us a few more shots so those were huge.”

Will Whidden had 13 points with seven rebounds for the Tritons.

Kai Van Olst had two big rebounds late in the game for the Tritons and Christian Fernandez made a crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Meza-Tallada led Trabuco Hills with 19 points and two steals on defense. Mowers had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Mustangs.

San Clemente will host San Juan Hills on Wednesday. San Juan Hills is in second place in the league standings and lost to San Clemente 61-54 on Jan. 10.

Trabuco Hills will host Capistrano Valley Friday. The Mustangs beat Capo Valley 57-36 on Jan. 12.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Cypress boys basketball continues push for Empire title with win over Tustin

• January 23, 2024

CYPRESS — Cypress boys basketball coach Derek Mitchell said his team is at its best in games played with an up-tempo pace.

That was the case in the Centurions’ Empire League game against Tustin on Monday at Cypress High School.

The Centurions got the ball up the court quickly and relied on the trio of Michael Wright, Jonah Kim and Ryan Gov for the bulk of the scoring in a 65-50 victory over the Tillers.

With four league games remaining, Cypress (18-5, 6-0) remains undefeated and in first place in league play. The Tillers (14-10, 3-3) are in a third-place tie with Pacifica.

“It’s a good start in the second half of the league for us,” Mitchell said. “Tustin is one of the top teams in our league, so we wanted to make sure we came out and get this victory so we still have a chance when we face Crean Lutheran.”

The Saints (12-11, 5-1), who are in second place, defeated Kennedy 69-41 on Monday.

Crean Lutheran’s only league loss this season came against the Centurions, and when the teams face off for the second time on Jan. 30 the league title could be on the line.

Wright led all scorers with 24 points, Kim scored 17 and Gov finished with 15.

“We all played a lot last year, so we’re all familiar with each other’s styles,” Kim said. “And then we had a good summer, and off that summer it just kind of built up … And as the games went on, leading into league, the chemistry just kept getting better and better.”

Cypress took advantage of a slow start by the Tillers, jumping out to an 18-0 lead.

Tustin went scoreless until the final minute of the first quarter when Brady Kong hit a pair of 3-pointers.

The Tillers opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run to get to within 11 and Johnny Sagarino hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter to get Tustin within seven.

But the Tillers couldn’t overcome the huge early deficit and never got any closer than seven the rest of the game.

Cypress led, 39-31, early in the third before closing out the quarter on a 17-4 run to put the game out of reach heading into the fourth.

Crean Lutheran went 10-0 in the Empire League in each of the past three seasons and the Centurions went 10-0 in each of the three seasons before that.

With the Centurions expected to move to a different league next season, final bragging rights could be on the line along with the league title when the teams match up for the final time, Mitchell said.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Girls basketball roundup: Anaheim, San Juan Hills, Sunny Hills post critical league victories

• January 23, 2024

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Anaheim’s girls basketball team recognized the hunger in its upstart opponent Monday, and the passion in the home crowd rooting for an upset.

The Colonists turned to their experience and conditioning to maintain their tight hold of the Orange League.

Sophomores Aleah McGregor and Ashley Guzman combined for 31 points as visiting Anaheim extended its league winning streak to 63 consecutive games with a 54-37 victory at boisterous Savanna.

McGregor, a point guard, scored a game-high 17 points and Guzman, a forward, added 14 points as Anaheim (22-1, 6-0) pulled away in the second half in a clash of CIF Southern Section-ranked teams.

Anaheim, ranked second in Division 3AA, led 31-25 a halftime but forced 11 turnovers in the third quarter to take control.

“These girls have played in big games,” Anaheim coach Vince Gomez said. “They’ve been around stuff like this. We beat Hesperia last year (in the playoffs) in double overtime. These sophomores were freshmen. They were part of that.”

“So for them to feel a certain way (tonight), it’s more like, ‘Hey, I recognize my environment,’ ” he added.

Anaheim started to make its move in the middle of the second quarter after Savanna (17-6, 4-2) tied the score at 22-22.

The Colonists closed the first half on a 9-3 run and outscored the Rebels 11-5 in the third period.

Senior point guard Elise Marquez highlighted Anaheim’s second-half surge with an assist to Guzman for a layup late in the third.

End of 3rd: Anaheim 42, Savanna 30 pic.twitter.com/BIFkkAk7HF

— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) January 23, 2024

McGregor credited Anaheim’s conditioning for forcing the turnovers and maintaining its fast-tempo well into the fourth.

“As much those days of training are super-hard and all of us are like, ‘Oh, I can’t take it’ we all know when it comes down to being in the game, it shows,” said McGregor, who had seven steals and six assists. “We are able to last longer with our endurance … and it’s because of our coach.”

Savanna, ranked first in Division 5AA, might have been closer at halftime but struggled at the free throw line, going 3 for 14 in the second quarter.

Sophomore guard Camaila Carigma paced the Rebels with 12 points and three steals.

Savanna coach Ramez Michail praised Anaheim but stayed positive about his team, which ran a 2-2-1 full-court press.

“I’m happy about our progress,” he said. “It just wasn’t our time yet to take down the big dogs but we’re going to keep grinding and fighting because our prize is much bigger that a (league) banner. We’re trying do something special here. See how far we can go in CIF.”

In the South Coast League:

San Juan Hills 66, San Clemente 49:  Senior Sydney Peterson scored a career-high 28 points and Anna Shreeve added 23 as the host Stallions knocked off the No. 9 Tritons in the teams’ first league game.

In the Freeway League:

Sunny Hills 50, Sonora 40: Natalie Do scored 24 points and Erin Choi added 19 as the visiting Lancers swept the Raiders to maintain their hold of second place.

In the Trinity League:

Mater Dei 93, JSerra 36: Duke commit Jenessa Cotton continued her strong play with 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Monarchs (19-7, 6-0).

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Coco Gauff survives erratic start to reach Australian Open semifinals

• January 23, 2024

By SIMON CAMBERS The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff kept alive her hopes of back-to-back Grand Slam singles titles after beating Marta Kostyuk, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2, in an error-strewn quarterfinal match at the Australian Open on Tuesday (Monday night PT).

The U.S. Open champion had 51 unforced errors, nine double faults and just 17 winners but battled past Kostyuk in 3 hours and 8 minutes.

The 19-year-old American has now won 12 consecutive matches in Grand Slams.

“I’m really proud of the fight I showed today,” said Gauff, who plays either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or ninth-ranked Barbora Krejcikova in the semis.

“Marta’s a tough player, we always have close matches,” Gauff added. “I really fought and left it all out on the court today. In the second set, I had an opportunity but I think I got passive. When I came out in the third I really tried to be a bit more aggressive.”

Having lost just 15 games on her way to the quarters, Gauff was vulnerable early on against Kostyuk, the Ukrainian who was appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who has 10 Australian Open titles among his record 24 Grand Slam crowns, was taking on 12th-seeded American Taylor Fritz for a place in the semifinals. Djokovic has won all eight of their previous meetings.

Sabalenka and Krejcikova were to play at night (overnight PT) before No. 4 Jannik Sinner met No. 5 Andrey Rublev.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

CSU, union reach tentative deal — ending planned weeklong strike after one day

• January 23, 2024

Leaders of the California Faculty Association — the union representing 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches across the 23-campus California State University system — said Monday evening they have accepted a tentative labor deal with the university system, ending eight months of tense negotiations and a planned five-day statewide strike.

CSU officials confirmed the tentative deal on Monday in a news release.

Related links

CSU teachers, other workers launch week-long strike amid salary dispute
Thousands of CSU faculty expected to strike across California starting Monday, Jan. 22
5% pay hike for CSU faculty, librarians, coaches not ‘viable,’ union says
Cal Poly Pomona faculty lead 1st day of Cal State University strikes statewide
CSU faculty hold rally at chancellor’s office to demand higher wages

“I am extremely pleased and deeply appreciative that we have reached common ground with CFA that will end the strike immediately,” CSU Chancellor Mildred García said in the release. “The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system’s long-term financial sustainability.”

Nearly 30,000 faculty members and other employees launched their weeklong work stoppage across the CSU system Monday morning Jan. 22 as pickets went up at campuses around the nation’s largest public university system. The union vowed that the walkout would last until Friday unless an agreement could be reached over pay and other concerns.

“The collective action of so many lecturers, professors, counselors, librarians, and coaches over these last eight months forced CSU management to take our demands seriously,” CFA President Charles Toombs said in a Monday evening news release. “This tentative agreement makes major gains for all faculty at the CSU.”

The union’s chief concern had been securing a 12% general salary increase for its members across the board to keep up with inflation, along with raising the salary floor for CFA’s lowest-paid members.

Though the CFA did not secure 12% pay raises, they did secure a 5% general salary increase for all faculty members retroactive to July 1, according to a memo sent to union members on Monday evening.

CSU leadership had not put out a statement about the tentative agreement, which CFA members still need to approve in the coming weeks, by 9:30 p.m. on Monday night.

In case anyone forgot, STRIKES WORK! After months of negotiations, our movement for a #betterCSU has paid off! Our members have won a Tentative Agreement with @calstate that includes raising the floor for our most vulnerable faculty, safer workplaces & expanded parental leave.#1u pic.twitter.com/q9VXHO0P6p

— California Faculty Association (@CFA_United) January 23, 2024

In addition, all union faculty members will get another 5% general salary increase this coming July — contingent on whether or not California reduces its funding for the system in the coming budget cycle, the memo said.

The CFA was also successful in raising the salary for floor for its lowest-paid faculty members, which had been a sticking point in the negotiations.

Union members in salary ranges A and B will get a $3,000 increase in minimum pay retroactive to July 1, the memo said, with an additional $3,000 minimum pay increase for salary range A this July.

The CFA’s tentative contract — which, if approved, will be in effect through June 30, 2025 — also provides a 2.65% salary step increase from 2024-25.

The CSU will also increase paid parental leave from six to 10 weeks under the tentative deal, the memo said, and the system has agreed to improve access to gender inclusive restrooms and lactation areas on campuses.

“This historic agreement was won because of members’ solidarity, collective action, bravery, and love for each other and our students,” said Antonio Gallo, Associate Vice President of Lecturers, South. “This deal immensely improves working conditions for faculty and strengthens learning conditions for students.”

Union faculty members who participated in the first day of the strike, meanwhile, intended to return to work on Tuesday.

“With the agreement in place, I look forward to advancing our student-centered work — together — as the nation’s greatest driver of social mobility,” García said, “and the pipeline fueling California’s diverse and educated workforce.”

The CSU, meanwhile, advised students to check messages from their instructors for any changes or updates to class schedules.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Trump seeks control of the GOP primary in New Hampshire against Nikki Haley, his last major rival

• January 23, 2024

By Holly Ramer and Will Weissert, Associated Press

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Donald Trump is aiming for a commanding victory Tuesday in New Hampshire, securing a sweep of the first two Republican primary races that would make a November rematch with President Joe Biden look more likely than ever.

The biggest question is whether Trump’s last major rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, will be able to eat into his margin — or pull off an upset outright. Haley has dedicated significant time and financial resources to New Hampshire, hoping to appeal to its famously independent-minded electorate.

In the first results released early Tuesday, all six registered voters of tiny Dixville Notch cast their ballots for Haley over Trump. The resort town is the only one in New Hampshire this year that opted to vote at midnight.

Trump won New Hampshire’s Republican primary big during his first run for president in 2016, but some of his allies lost key races during the midterms two years ago. Haley also has to contend with an opponent who has a deep bond with the GOP base and has concentrated on winning the state decisively enough that it would effectively end the competitive phase of the Republican primary.

If successful, Trump would be the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976 — a clear sign of his continued grip on the party’s most-loyal voters.

Trump’s allies are already pressuring Haley to leave the race and those calls will intensify if he wins New Hampshire easily. Were she to drop out, that would effectively decide the GOP primary on its second stop, well before the vast majority of Republican voters across the country have been able to vote.

Haley has been campaigning with New Hampshire’s popular Republican governor, Chris Sununu, a Trump critic. She insists she’s in the race for the long run, telling supporters at a VFW hall in Franklin on Monday that “America does not do coronations.”

“This is about, do you have more of the same, or do you want someone who’s going to take us forward with new solutions,” Haley told reporters, also saying that, “We can either do the whole thing that we’ve always done and live in that chaos world that we’ve had, or we can go forward with no drama, no vendettas and some results for the American people.”

“This is a two-person race,” she added.

Republican presidential candidate, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on January 22, 2024, in Salem, New Hampshire. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Haley and Trump were both hoping to capitalize on high-profile recent departures from the race. Haley could get a lift from some supporters of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who campaigned around decrying Trump but ended his bid shortly before Iowa’s caucus last week. Trump, meanwhile, may be able to consolidate support from conservative voters who were supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped his White House bid on Sunday.

Trump, who appeared at a pre-primary rally in Laconia with one of his former primary rivals, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, was already looking ahead to being the race’s last Republican candidate. Asked during a Monday interview with Newsmax about Haley possibly abandoning her campaign after New Hampshire, the former president said he’d never call on her to do that but added, “Maybe she’ll be dropping out Tuesday.”

Scot Stebbins Sr., who attended Trump’s rally in a Make America Great Again baseball cap, called him “the greatest president we’ve had since Abraham Lincoln” adding that Trump “has done nothing but good for our nation.”

Stebbins said he thought the four criminal cases and 91 felony counts Trump is facing constituted “a witch hunt” and said Trump would “get rid of all the corrupt politicians who have been in there too long that are getting paid off.”

“He can’t be bought,” Stebbins said. “He’s a true American. He always has been.”

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump signs autographs and shakes hands with supporters at the conclusion of a campaign rally in the basement ballroom of The Margate Resort on January 22, 2024 in Laconia, New Hampshire. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Democrats were also holding a primary Tuesday, but it was unlike any in recent memory.

Biden championed new Democratic National Committee rules that have the party’s 2024 primary process beginning on Feb. 3 in South Carolina, rather than in Iowa or New Hampshire. He argued that Black voters, the party’s most reliable constituency and a critical part of his win in South Carolina that revived his 2020 primary campaign after three opening loses, should have a larger and earlier role in determining its nominee.

New Hampshire’s Democrats, citing state laws dictating that their state hold the nation’s first primary after Iowa’s caucus, defied the revamped order and pushed ahead with their primary as scheduled.

Biden didn’t campaign here and his name won’t be on the ballot, meaning the state’s Democrats can vote for the president’s two little-known major primary challengers, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson. Still, many of New Hampshire’s top Democrats backed a write-in campaign that they expect Biden to handily win.

Some voters who might otherwise back Democrats could also vote in the more-competitive Republican primary if they are undeclared.

Karen Padgett is an undeclared voter who saw Haley on Monday. She said she’d voted for Trump in the last two elections but didn’t plan to do so again but also is “really annoyed with Joe Biden that he kind of wrote New Hampshire off.”

Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips speaks to supporters during a campaign rally on January 22, 2024 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“Her statement is everybody’s so old there, they’re so entrenched,” Padgett said of Haley’s promises to shake up Washington in ways that Trump pledged to, but never did. “Let’s get some new people in there.”

Instead of focusing on New Hampshire, Biden was joining Vice President Kamala in northern Virginia for a rally in defense of abortion rights, which Democrats see as a winning issue for them across the country in November.

There’s nonetheless a growing sense of inevitability around November being a reprisal of Biden versus Trump. Both men have been criticized by their opponents over age — Biden is 81, Trump 77 — and each has painted the other as woefully unfit for another White House term.

Public opinion polls suggest most Americans oppose a rematch. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in December found that 56% of U.S. adults would be very or somewhat dissatisfied with Biden as the Democratic nominee — and 58% felt the same about Trump as the GOP pick.

Democratic presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson speaks during a campaign event at Teatotaller’s Cafe in Concord, New Hampshire, on January 17, 2024. ( Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images)

Some New Hampshire voters expressed similar frustration.

Jeff Caira, 66, a Republican from Sanbornton, said he was undecided in the primary but that he wanted a candidate who will tackle “the issues, rather than address the baggage that the other two candidates seem to have.”

He said he was “disappointed” that as large as the U.S. is, ”the two front-runners are the best we have to offer.”

Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Joseph Frederick in Franklin, New Hampshire, Mike Pesoli in Laconia, New Hampshire, and Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register