Basketball Recap: 11 Straight Home Victories for Tulare Union

Tulare Union entered their tilt with Mission Oak on Thursday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Mission Oak Hawks by a score of 80-72. Given the The Tribe's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 227th, while the Hawks are ranked 797th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Tulare Union got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Demaje Riley out in front who posted 21 points along with five assists and five rebounds. The game was Riley's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Nehemiah Moreno, who went 5 for 9 on his way to 17 points and five boards.

Riley wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Tulare Union was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mission Oak only racked up seven assists.

When it comes to explaining why Mission Oak lost, don't look at Malakai Rodriguez. Despite the final result, he went 8 of 20 en route to 30 points and five rebounds. Anthony Jackson was another key player, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 15 boards.

The Tribe

Previous Games (Home)

01/16/25 vs Mission Oak	80-72
01/14/25 vs Hanford	78-76
12/20/24 vs Immanuel	74-53
12/19/24 vs Mt. Whitney	66-36
12/18/24 vs Coalinga	63-52
+ 6 more games

Tulare Union pushed their record up to 19-2 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.2 points per game. As for Mission Oak, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost eight of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-11 record this season.

Tulare Union didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 46-41 defeat against Dinuba on the 21st. As for Mission Oak, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 65-53 victory against Mendota on the 18th.