Basketball Game Preview: Ukiah Wildcats vs. McKinleyville Panthers

The Ukiah Wildcats will be taking part in a tournament against the McKinleyville Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. McKinleyville took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Ukiah, who comes in off a win.

Ukiah is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Cloverdale: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Wildcats blew the Eagles out of the water with a 71-39 final score. The Wildcats have beaten the Eagles the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Eagles has come to flipping the script.

Ukiah's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Aaliyah Wilson led the charge by dropping a double-double with 26 points and 20 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Dana Cabada, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds.

Meanwhile, McKinleyville was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Monday as they fell 34-30 to Kelseyville.

Ukiah's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for McKinleyville, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

Things could have been worse for Ukiah, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 38-24 loss to McKinleyville in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.