Basketball Game Preview: Orthopaedic Vipers vs. Central City Value Jaguars

Orthopaedic hasn't had much luck against Central City Value recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Orthopaedic Vipers will host the Central City Value Jaguars at 2:00 p.m.

Last Monday, Orthopaedic lost to Annenberg at home by a 31-12 margin. While losing is never fun, the Vipers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1226th, while the Panthers are ranked 503rd).

Meanwhile, Central City Value's and Animo Bunche's match on Tuesday was close at halftime, but Central City Value turned on the heat in the second half with 23 points. Central City Value put the hurt on Animo Bunche with a sharp 37-16 victory. The Jaguars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 21 points or more this season.

Central City Value's win came from a few key players Orthopaedic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Natasha Garcia, who posted seven points and 11 steals. She is becoming a predictor of Central City Value's success: when she posts at least three steals the team is 11-4 (and 1-2 when she doesn't). Another player making a difference was Kimberly Jacinto, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and five steals.

Central City Value smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 26 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Central City Value's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-6. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 18.2 points over those games. As for Orthopaedic, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-12.

Orthopaedic came up short against Central City Value when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 24-19. Will Orthopaedic 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.