Hemet is 9-1 against Vista del Lago since December of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Hemet Bulldogs will square off against the Vista del Lago Ravens at 6:30 p.m. One thing working in Hemet's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 18 games.
Last Thursday, Hemet got the win against Perris by a conclusive 77-55. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 293rd, while the Panthers are ranked 799th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/23/25 vs Perris | 3 |
| 12/04/24 vs Bloomington | 2 |
| 11/18/24 vs Beaumont | 2 |
| 01/21/25 @ Paloma Valley | 1 |
| 01/16/25 @ Lakeside | 1 |
It was another big night for Matthew Torres, who went 7 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 33 points and three blocks. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in blocks. Another player making a difference was Elijah Alexander, who went 5 of 8 on his way to 11 points in addition to five boards and three steals.
Meanwhile, Vista del Lago lost to Perris at home by a 74-58 margin on Tuesday.
Hemet will have to contain Ja'Marion Jackson as he made an impact in Vista del Lago's last game. He went 13 for 21 en route to 29 points and six rebounds. The matchup was Jackson's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinton Jinna-Smith, who posted eight points.
Even though they lost, Vista del Lago was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive contests.
Vista del Lago has traveled a rocky road recently having lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-18 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.2 points per game. As for Hemet, their win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-2.
Tuesday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Torres and Jackson. Torres has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 18.4 points and 1.4 steals on 50.9% shooting. For his part, Jackson has averaged 15.7 points, 1.9 steals, and 6.3 boards.
Everything came up roses for Hemet against Vista del Lago in their previous matchup on January 9th, as the team secured a 78-47 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hemet since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
