Basketball Game Preview: Escalon Cougars vs. Ripon Christian Knights

The Escalon Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the Ripon Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Escalon will be strutting in after a victory while Ripon Christian will be coming in after a defeat.

Last Tuesday, Escalon took their game with ease, bagging a 58-22 win over Hughson. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Arianna Velasco and Madi Babasa were among the main playmakers for Escalon as the former dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 steals and the latter went 6 of 15 en route to 23 points in addition to seven boards and three steals. Those 13 steals gave Velasco a new career-high. Aiden Hohenwarter was another key player, putting up 11 points and eight rebounds.

Escalon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive boards in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Ripon Christian came up short against Ripon on Thursday and fell 38-31.

The victory got Escalon back to even at 9-9. As for Ripon Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season.

Escalon didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Ripon Christian when the teams last played back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 44-39 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Escalon since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.