Basketball Game Preview: Salesian Mustangs vs. Paraclete Spirits

Salesian is 0-5 against Paraclete since December of 2022 but things could change on Monday. The Salesian Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Paraclete Spirits at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Salesian will bounce into Monday's game after beating Bishop Amat, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Salesian pulled ahead with a 53-52 photo finish over Bishop Amat on Wednesday. The win was all the more spectacular given the Mustangs' disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 429th, while the Lancers are ranked 188th).

Meanwhile, Paraclete escaped with a win on Saturday against Moorpark by the margin of a single free throw, 67-66.

Paraclete has also been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-14 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.8 points per game. As for Salesian, their victory bumped their record up to 12-10.

Salesian lost to Paraclete at home by a decisive 56-40 margin in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Salesian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.