Preview: Acalanes Dons vs. Miramonte Matadors
Acalanes is 2-8 against Miramonte since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Acalanes Dons will be playing in front of their home fans against the Miramonte Matadors at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Acalanes scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Monday. They breezed by Berean Christian at home to the tune of 76-34. The win was some much needed relief for Acalanes as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Acalanes got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Maddox Malm out in front who scored 11 points along with four steals. Liam Krackeler was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Miramonte stacked a seventh blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Monday. They blew past Mt. Diablo 80-23 at home. Given Miramonte's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 210th, while Mt. Diablo is ranked 1036th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Miramonte's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Chris Kaufhold led the charge by scoring nine points along with nine rebounds and five steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Chase Miller, who scored 18 points along with two steals.
Acalanes' victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-14. As for Miramonte, their win bumped their record up to 14-7.
Wednesday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Acalanes have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 39.1% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Miramonte struggles in that department as they've made 42.3% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Acalanes was able to grind out a solid win over Miramonte when the teams last played back in February of 2023, winning 63-53. Will Acalanes repeat their success, or does Miramonte have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
