The Lodi Flames will head out on the road to take on the Merced Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Thursday, Lodi didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Kimball, but they still walked away with a 43-38 victory. The win continues a trend for the Flames in their matchups with the Jaguars: they've now won three in a row.
Lillie Bayless was the offensive standout of the game as she posted 14 points and five boards. Another player making a difference was Sienna Aitken, who scored six points and seven rebounds.
Lodi was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Kimball only racked up four assists.
Meanwhile, Merced strolled past Golden Valley with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 46-29. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 410th, while the Cougars are ranked 892nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lodi better keep an eye on Averie Steverson. She was instrumental in Merced's win, dropping a double-double with 20 points and 12 boards. Steverson is becoming a predictor of Merced's success: when she posts at least eight rebounds the team is 12-6 (and 4-5 when she doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Aliyah Solis, who had eight points and four steals.
Lodi's record is now 13-14. As for Merced, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-11 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lodi has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Merced struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lodi was able to grind out a solid victory over Merced when the teams last played back in December of 2018, winning 49-38. Does Lodi have another victory up their sleeve, or will Merced turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
