Basketball Game Preview: Fulton Jaguars vs. Northridge Academy Pumas

Fulton is 0-10 against Northridge Academy since January of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Fulton Jaguars will head out to face off against the Northridge Academy Pumas at 4:00 p.m. Fulton's defense has only allowed 29 points per game this season, so Northridge Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Fulton turned things around against East Valley on Thursday. They walked away with a 31-19 victory over the Falcons.

Meanwhile, after only 22 points in their last matchup, Northridge Academy made sure to put some points up on the board against Vaughn on Thursday. Northridge Academy really took it to Vaughn for the full four quarters, racking up a 59-8 win. The Pumas have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 20 points or more this season.

Fulton better focus on containing Jennalyn Gerona and Janelle Estrella as the pair were huge in Northridge Academy's win. Gerona went 9 for 13 on her way to 21 points and four steals, while Estrella dropped a double-double on ten points and 14 rebounds. Those 14 boards gave Estrella a new career-high. Jacqueline Nettles was another key player, putting up four points in addition to ten rebounds and six blocks.

Northridge Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive contests.

Northridge Academy is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.1 points per game. As for Fulton, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-5.

Fulton was taken down by Northridge Academy 81-3 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can Fulton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.