Basketball Game Preview: Elk Grove Thundering Herd vs. Casa Roble Rams

The Elk Grove Thundering Herd and the Casa Roble Rams will compete for holiday cheer at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Elk Grove has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.

Having struggled with five defeats in a row, Elk Grove turned things around against Florin on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 41-13 win over the Panthers. The Thundering Herd's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, Casa Roble came up short against Oakmont on Tuesday and fell 61-51. The Rams have struggled against the Vikings recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Elk Grove will need focus on slowing down Paisley Canady, one of several Casa Roble players who made an impact when they last played. She posted 20 points and three steals. Canady continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Brinley Ornelas, who went 7 of 15 on her way to 14 points.

Even though they lost, Casa Roble smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.

Elk Grove's victory ended an 11-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-5. As for Casa Roble, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.

Elk Grove came up short against Casa Roble when the teams last played back in December of 2022, falling 42-30. Can Elk Grove avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.