Preview: Portola Tigers vs. Redding Christian Lions
Having just played yesterday, the Portola Tigers will get right back to it and host the Redding Christian Lions at 6:30 p.m. on January 17th. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Even though Portola has not done well against North Valleys recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Portola had just enough and edged North Valleys out 78-75. The victory was all the more spectacular given Portola's disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 809th in California, while North Valleys is ranked 60th in Nevada).
Portola's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Connor Sheridan, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 20 rebounds. Sheridan is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Liam Bowling, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and five steals.
Meanwhile, Redding Christian earned a 54-42 win over Quincy last Tuesday.
Portola has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. As for Redding Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 10-5.
Portola strolled past Redding Christian when the teams last played back in January of 2023 by a score of 65-50. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Redding Christian's Joey Casey, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Wednesday, will it be that much easier for Portola to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
