Basketball Game Preview: Sparks Railroaders vs. South Tahoe Vikings

Sparks hasn't had much luck against South Tahoe recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Sparks Railroaders will take on the South Tahoe Vikings at 7:30 p.m.

Sparks is headed into Friday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 16th straight game on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a 59-24 loss at the hands of Wooster. The Railroaders were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-11.

Despite their loss, Sparks saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Eli Flores, who posted 12 points, was perhaps the best of all. Symon Soloman was another key player, putting up six points.

Meanwhile, South Tahoe waltzed into their match on Wednesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They blew past the Wolverines 69-33. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 30th, while the Wolverines are ranked 100th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

South Tahoe pushed their record up to 18-5 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.7 points per game. As for Sparks, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-21.

Sparks took a serious blow against South Tahoe in their previous meeting back in January, falling 69-32. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Sparks was down 54-20.