Redlands East Valley is 8-2 against Yucaipa since January of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Redlands East Valley Wildcats will be playing at home against the Yucaipa Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Redlands East Valley has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Yucaipa will arrive with ten straight wins.
Redlands East Valley is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Alta Loma on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Redlands East Valley came up short against Alta Loma, falling 68-47. The Wildcats were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-16.
| 01/03/25 vs Alta Loma | 17 |
| 12/30/24 vs Diamond Bar | 33 |
| 12/28/24 vs Bosco Tech | 16 |
| 12/27/24 vs Riverside Prep | 16 |
| 12/26/24 vs Alta Loma | 23 |
Despite the defeat, Redlands East Valley got top-tier performance from Demaj Moore, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten boards. The matchup was Moore's 12th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Amari Smith, who posted seven points.
Even though they lost, Redlands East Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Yucaipa strolled past Beaumont with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 60-45. Given the Thunderbirds' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 214th, while the Cougars are ranked 519th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Redlands East Valley better keep an eye on Jonathan Campbell. He was instrumental in Yucaipa's win, dropping a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds. Campbell has been hot, having posted eight or more boards the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Lerma, who had nine points in addition to seven boards and six assists.
Yucaipa has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 13 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.2 points per game. As for Redlands East Valley, they now have a losing record at 9-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Redlands East Valley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Yucaipa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Redlands East Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Yucaipa in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, sneaking past 53-51. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lerma, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 15 rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Redlands East Valley still be able to contain Lerma? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
