Basketball Game Preview: Merced Bears vs. Bear Creek Bruins

The Merced Bears and the Bear Creek Bruins will meet on Tuesday for a tough Bear Battle. Bear Creek took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Merced, who comes in off a win.

Last Thursday, Merced didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Sonora, but they still walked away with a 53-49 victory.

Aiden Matsuo

Points (Career)

01/02/25 @ Sonora	18
11/26/24 vs Gregori	17
01/24/24 @ El Capitan	13
01/08/24 @ Central Valley	12
12/28/24 @ Clovis	12

Aiden Matsuo had an outrageously good game as he went 7 for 9 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven boards and three steals. Those 18 points gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Diego Aguilar, who posted 13 points.

Meanwhile, Bear Creek came up short against Wood on Monday and fell 64-55. While the Bruins didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wildcats 21-17 in the first quarter.

Merced will have to contain Eddie Andeola as he made an impact in Bear Creek's last game. He put up 14 points. Another player making a difference was Noah Morris, who posted eight points.

Merced's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Bear Creek, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-5.