Basketball Game Preview: Natomas Nighthawks vs. West Campus Warriors

The Natomas Nighthawks will take on the West Campus Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Natomas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They claimed a resounding 97-40 win over Linden. The Nighthawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 games by 20 points or more this season.

Kanye Lewis

Points (Career)

02/19/25 vs Linden	27
01/20/25 vs Fremont	18
01/31/25 vs Dixon	15
01/04/25 vs Granada	11
01/10/25 @ Dixon	10

Natomas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kanye Lewis led the charge by dropping a double-double with 27 points and ten boards. The dominant performance gave Lewis a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Manno Jenkins, who went 7-for-12 to rack up 17 points along with seven rebounds and seven steals.

Natomas smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 20 consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, West Campus posted their closest victory since January 17, 2024 on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 59-57 win over Sonora.

West Campus has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.5 points over those games. Natomas pushed their record up to 22-7 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home.

Everything came up roses for Natomas against West Campus in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as the squad secured an 85-52 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Natomas since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.