Basketball Game Preview: Lemoore Tigers vs. Kingsburg Vikings

The Lemoore Tigers will square off against the Kingsburg Vikings at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Last Thursday, Lemoore came up short against Dinuba and fell 55-45. The Tigers have struggled against the Emperors recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Papa Laye put forth a good effort for the losing side as he posted 11 points in addition to seven boards and seven steals. Those seven steals gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Micah Fox, who scored six points and 11 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Lemoore smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, everything went Kingsburg's way against Immanuel on Friday as Kingsburg made off with a 65-43 victory. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Lemoore's defeat dropped their record down to 13-8. As for Kingsburg, their win bumped their record up to 9-11.

Lemoore was able to grind out a solid victory over Kingsburg in their previous matchup back in December of 2021, winning 75-67. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Kingsburg's Matthew Ruegge, who went 7 for 13 from beyond the arc on his way to 27 points along with eight boards and seven assists. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for Lemoore to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.