Basketball Game Preview: Dinuba Emperors vs. San Luis Obispo Tigers

The Dinuba Emperors will head out on the road to take on the San Luis Obispo Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a 13-game winning streak alive.

Last Tuesday, Dinuba got the win against Mission Oak by a conclusive 55-35. The Emperors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 contests by 20 points or more this season.

Jalissa Espirito

Steals

02/11/25 @ Mission Oak	8
02/08/25 @ Selma	7
02/06/25 vs Tulare Union	3
02/04/25 @ Lemoore	3
01/31/25 vs Tulare Western	7
+ 16 more games

Dinuba's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jalissa Espirito, who posted 14 points and eight steals. Espirito has been hot for a while, having posted three or more steals the last 21 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kathryne Forbes, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten boards.

Dinuba smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 21 consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, San Luis Obispo earned a 50-37 win over Lompoc on Tuesday. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 103rd, while the Braves are ranked 454th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

San Luis Obispo pushed their record up to 25-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.8 points over those games. As for Dinuba, their record is now 21-5.