Basketball Game Preview: Bethel Jaguars vs. Salesian College Preparatory Pride

Bethel is 0-6 against Salesian College Preparatory since December of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Bethel Jaguars will face off against the Salesian College Preparatory Pride at 7:00 p.m. Bethel has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

It was a proper cat-fight when Bethel duked it out withRancho Cotate on Tuesday. Bethel came out on top against Rancho Cotate by a score of 63-52. The Jaguars' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Meanwhile, Salesian College Preparatory earned a 52-44 victory over Redwood on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Pride.

Salesian College Preparatory's win came from a few key players Bethel will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Janiya Sawyer, who posted nine points in addition to five assists and five boards. Sawyer is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Jamia Sawyer, who had 15 points.

Bethel's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-2. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.9 points per game. As for Salesian College Preparatory, their record is now 3-1.

Bethel was dealt a bruising 59-15 defeat at the hands of Salesian College Preparatory when the teams last played back in January of 2022. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Bethel was down 41-6.