Basketball Game Preview: Aptos Mariners vs. Santa Cruz Cardinals

Aptos hasn't had much luck against Santa Cruz recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Aptos Mariners will square off against the Santa Cruz Cardinals at 5:30 p.m. Santa Cruz took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Aptos, who comes in off a win.

On Tuesday, Aptos escaped with a win against Soquel by the margin of a single free throw, 43-42. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mariners.

Aptos' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Eliya Chavez, who posted 11 points. Abby Sherwood was another key player, putting up ten points and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, Santa Cruz unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 52-31 to Scotts Valley. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Cardinals have suffered since December 23, 2024.

Aptos pushed their record up to 13-9 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Santa Cruz, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-10.

Aptos couldn't quite finish off Santa Cruz in their previous matchup two weeks ago and fell 58-56. Can Aptos avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.