Basketball Game Preview: Temecula Prep Patriots vs. San Jacinto Leadership Academy Lions

The Temecula Prep Patriots will take on the San Jacinto Leadership Academy Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

San Jacinto Leadership Academy will be up against a hot Temecula Prep squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Temecula Prep blew past San Jacinto Valley Academy 76-32 on Friday. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 534th, while the Wolves are ranked 1122nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for San Jacinto Leadership Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They strolled past California Military Institute with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 61-46.

San Jacinto Leadership Academy's win came from a few key players Temecula Prep will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ezra Olguin, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. He also grabbed seven steals, which is notable because San Jacinto Leadership Academy is 13-5 when he posts at least three steals, but 1-2 otherwise. Jake Gagnepain was another key player, putting up 20 points and four steals.

San Jacinto Leadership Academy has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.1 points per game. As for Temecula Prep, their victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-7.

Everything came up roses for Temecula Prep against San Jacinto Leadership Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 75-45 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gagnepain, who posted 18 points and five boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Temecula Prep still be able to contain Gagnepain? There's only one way to find out.