Basketball Game Preview: Johansen Vikings vs. Modesto Panthers

The Johansen Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Modesto Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Johansen is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 60.7 points per game this season.

While Johansen didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They enjoyed a cozy 60-46 victory over Hughson on Wednesday. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 186th, while the Huskies are ranked 684th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Johansen's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ivan Martinez led the charge by putting up 16 points. Martinez's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Joseph Carranza, who posted 12 points.

Meanwhile, Modesto was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. The contest between them and Tokay didn't end well, with Modesto falling 65-49.

Modesto's loss dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Johansen, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-2.

Johansen was able to grind out a solid victory over Modesto in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 73-61. Will Johansen repeat their success, or does Modesto have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.