Basketball Game Preview: Central Valley Falcons vs. University Prep Panthers

Central Valley hasn't had much luck against University Prep recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Central Valley Falcons will look to defend their home court against the University Prep Panthers at 7:30 p.m.

Central Valley is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 14th straight game on Friday. They fell 56-46 to Anderson. While the Falcons didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Cubs 17-11 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, University Prep entered their tilt with Lassen on Friday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They enjoyed a cozy 77-63 victory over the Grizzlies. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 281st, while the Grizzlies are ranked 1104th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Central Valley better focus on containing Adam Gire and Trey Pringle as the pair were huge in University Prep's win. Gire dropped a double-double on 26 points and ten rebounds, while Pringle posted 15 points in addition to eight steals and seven assists. Gire's evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Jack Ampi was another key player, putting up four points along with six steals and five boards.

University Prep smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive contests.

University Prep has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.3 points per game. As for Central Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 2-17.

Central Valley might still be hurting after the 82-57 defeat they got from University Prep when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Thankfully for Central Valley, Nolan Gray (who dropped a double-double on 45 points and 12 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.