Basketball Game Preview: Dinuba Emperors vs. Selma Bears

The Dinuba Emperors will head out to square off against the Selma Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Dinuba has 11 straight wins, Selma has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Last Thursday, Dinuba made easy work of Tulare Union and carried off a 53-31 victory. The Emperors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 matchups by 22 points or more this season.

Jalissa Espirito

Points

02/06/25 vs Tulare Union	20
02/04/25 @ Lemoore	15
01/31/25 vs Tulare Western	19

Jalissa Espirito and Samantha Gonzalez were among the main playmakers for Dinuba as the former posted 20 points along with seven rebounds and five assists and the latter scored 13 points and six steals. Espirito's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 15 points. Sydnee Sandoval was another key player, putting up seven points.

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

Meanwhile, Selma played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 76-26 loss at the hands of Sierra Pacific. While losing is never fun, the Bears can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 627th, while the Golden Bears are ranked 82nd).

Dinuba's win was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-5. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.5 points over those games. As for Selma, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-11.

Dinuba couldn't quite finish off Selma when the teams last played back in December of 2023 and fell 40-38. Can Dinuba avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.