Basketball Game Preview: Selma Bears vs. Dinuba Emperors

Having just played yesterday, the Selma Bears will get right back to it and host the Dinuba Emperors at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Selma has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with three straight losses, while Dinuba will come in with 11 straight wins.

Selma is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Sierra Pacific on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Selma took a blow against Sierra Pacific, falling 76-26. The Bears were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 54-18.

Meanwhile, everything went Dinuba's way against Tulare Union on Thursday as Dinuba made off with a 53-31 victory. The Emperors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 games by 22 points or more this season.

Selma better focus on containing Jalissa Espirito and Samantha Gonzalez as the pair were huge in Dinuba's win. Espirito posted 20 points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists, while Gonzalez put up 13 points and six steals. Espirito has been hot for a while, having also posted three or more steals the last 19 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sydnee Sandoval, who scored seven points.

Dinuba smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 19 consecutive contests.

Dinuba's win was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-5. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.1 points over those games. As for Selma, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-11.

Selma skirted past Dinuba 40-38 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Does Selma have another victory up their sleeve, or will Dinuba turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.