Basketball Game Preview: Shafter Generals vs. Taft Wildcats

Shafter has gone 9-1 against Taft recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Shafter Generals will take on the Taft Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Taft is hoping to do what Delano couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Shafter's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Shafter blew past Delano 68-13. The Generals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Shafter's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Isela Lugo, who went 10 for 18 on her way to 24 points in addition to six boards and three steals, and Alexia Ramirez, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. Ramirez is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 11 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kyla Schooley, who posted ten points along with six rebounds and four steals.

Shafter was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Meanwhile, Taft got the win against Chavez on Thursday by a conclusive 37-16. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by exactly 21 points.

Shafter is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Taft, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 5-8.

Everything came up roses for Shafter against Taft when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 69-16 win. In that game, Shafter amassed a halftime lead of 41-9, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.