Basketball Game Preview: Santiago Sharks vs. Norco Cougars

Santiago is on a three-game streak of home losses, Norco a three-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck will change on Thursday. The Santiago Sharks will host the Norco Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Santiago easily dispatched Corona on Thursday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Santiago fell just short of King by a score of 69-66 on Tuesday. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Sharks came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 130th, while the Wolves are ranked 464th).

Meanwhile, Norco came up short against King on Thursday and fell 51-38.

Santiago will have to keep a close watch on Caleb Ward and Ryan Ibbetson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Norco's prior game. Ward posted ten points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals, while Ibbetson dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards. The dominant performance gave Ward a new career-high in rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Edgar Mojica, who earned three points and three steals.

Norco's defeat dropped their record down to 7-16. As for Santiago, their loss dropped their record down to 18-8.

Santiago came up short against Norco when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 80-72. Will Santiago have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.