Basketball Game Preview: Central City Value Jaguars vs. Animo Venice Pirates

Two dominant guards in Andy Lobos and Rashad Johnson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Central City Value Jaguars will face off against the Animo Venice Pirates at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

It was a proper cat-fight when Central City Value duked it out withAnnenberg on Friday. Central City Value came out on top against Annenberg by a score of 37-26.

Central City Value relied on the efforts of Lobos, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 13 boards, and Brandon Valencia, who posted 12 points in addition to eight steals and six rebounds. The game was Lobos' fourth in a row with at least ten points.

Central City Value smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in ten consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Animo Venice's strategy against New Designs Watts on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Animo Venice blew New Designs Watts out of the water with a 68-18 final score. The Pirates have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matches by 24 points or more this season.

Central City Value is also on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 4-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.5 points per game. As for Animo Venice, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-11.

Everything went Central City Value's way against Animo Venice when the teams last played back in November of 2016, as Central City Value made off with a 70-50 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Animo Venice's Aaron Lopez, who earned 21 points and five boards. Now that he won't be playing on Monday, will it be easier for Central City Value to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.