Basketball Game Preview: Pioneer Valley Panthers vs. Santa Maria Saints

The Pioneer Valley Panthers will square off against the Santa Maria Saints at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

Last Monday, Pioneer Valley lost to Righetti at home by a 69-50 margin. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1134th, while the Warriors are ranked 454th).

Meanwhile, Santa Maria entered their tilt with Nipomo on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Titans 74-35. The Saints have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 20 points or more this season.

Santa Maria is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.8 points per game. As for Pioneer Valley, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season.

Pioneer Valley came up short against Santa Maria in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 70-62. Will Pioneer Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.