Basketball Game Preview: Eureka Loggers vs. Mt. Shasta Bears

The Eureka Loggers will be taking part in a tournament against the Mt. Shasta Bears at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Eureka knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Mt. Shasta likes a good challenge.

While Eureka didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 59-51 win over Kelseyville on Saturday. Given the Loggers' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 164th, while the Knights are ranked 755th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Elijah Estrada and Will Mooney were among the main playmakers for Eureka as the former almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine boards and the latter posted 15 points and seven rebounds. Estrada continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Owen Hiscox, who had eight points.

Meanwhile, Mt. Shasta came into Saturday's matchup having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victor by a 70-46 margin over Stockton Christian last Saturday. The Bears have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 24 points or more this season.

Eureka pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.2 points per game. As for Mt. Shasta, the win got them back to even at 6-6.

Eureka was able to grind out a solid victory over Mt. Shasta in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 65-53. The rematch might be a little tougher for Eureka since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.