Basketball Game Preview: Mission College Prep Royals vs. Orcutt Academy Spartans

Mission College Prep is 1-7 against Orcutt Academy since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Mission College Prep Royals will face off against the Orcutt Academy Spartans at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Mission College Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took down El Diamante 70-54. The Royals' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Orcutt Academy on Friday. They strolled past Paso Robles with points to spare, taking the game 77-58. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 59th, while the Bearcats are ranked 469th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Mission College Prep better keep an eye on Elizabeth Johnson. She was instrumental in Orcutt Academy's win, dropping a double-double with 34 points and 18 boards. Johnson is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last 34 games she's played dating back to last season. Iraya Bell-Jackson was another key player, going 8-for-13 en route to 19 points.

Orcutt Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in 33 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Mission College Prep pushed their record up to 14-10 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.8 points over those games. As for Orcutt Academy, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season.

Things could have been worse for Mission College Prep, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 54-39 loss to Orcutt Academy in their previous matchup last Tuesday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Johnson, who dropped a double-double with 25 points and 15 boards. Now that Mission College Prep knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.