Basketball Game Preview: Johansen Vikings vs. Central Valley Hawks

Johansen is 5-0 against Central Valley since December of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Johansen Vikings will welcome the Central Valley Hawks at 7:30 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Johansen and six for Central Valley.

Johansen came up into this matchup off a tough 27-point loss on Thursday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Lathrop by a score of 50-47 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Vikings have suffered since February 12, 2024.

Johansen's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Ameila Medearis, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards, and Danna Singh, who posted 16 points and five steals. The dominant performance also gave Medearis a new career-high in blocks (three). Ana Viramontes was another key player, putting up seven points along with seven rebounds and three blocks.

Even though they lost, Johansen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Central Valley played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Livingston and fell 61-34. The Hawks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 37-16.

Johansen's defeat dropped their record down to 6-12. As for Central Valley, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 6-12.

Johansen beat Central Valley 37-24 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Does Johansen have another victory up their sleeve, or will Central Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.