Basketball Game Preview: Rio Mesa Spartans vs. Buena Bulldogs

Rio Mesa hasn't had much luck against Buena recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Rio Mesa Spartans will face off against the Buena Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m.

Last Thursday, Rio Mesa ended up a good deal behind Dos Pueblos and lost 50-33. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 475th, while the Chargers are ranked 176th).

Meanwhile, Buena waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 59-30 win over the Dons.

Rio Mesa better keep an eye on Karisma Lewis. She was instrumental in Buena's win, going 8 for 17 on her way to 21 points in addition to eight boards and seven steals. That's the most steals Lewis has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Olivia Decierdo, who posted 11 points along with seven rebounds and five steals.

Buena is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-4 record this season. As for Rio Mesa, their loss dropped their record down to 10-13.

Rio Mesa took a serious blow against Buena in their previous meeting on January 7th, falling 64-28. Can Rio Mesa avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.