Basketball Game Preview: Parkland Matadors vs. Bel Air Highlanders

Parkland is 1-9 against Bel Air since December of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Parkland Matadors will host the Bel Air Highlanders at 7:30 p.m.

Parkland is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Tuesday. They were dealt a 75-16 loss at the hands of Americas. While losing is never fun, the Matadors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 1094th, while the Trail Blazers are ranked 69th).

Rachel Silva was Parkland's leading scorer, having posted nine points. Mia Arambula held things down on the boards with five rebounds.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bel Air, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They took their contest on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 58-16 win over Horizon. The Highlanders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 20 points or more this season.

Bel Air's win came from a few key players Parkland will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ciara Acosta, who posted 11 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Alyssa Saldana, who put up ten points and three steals.

Bel Air smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in four consecutive matchups.

Parkland's defeat dropped their record down to 9-14. As for Bel Air, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season.

Parkland was dealt a bruising 63-33 loss at the hands of Bel Air when the teams last played back in January of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Parkland was down 33-12.