Preview: Bakersfield Christian Eagles vs. Independence Falcons
Bakersfield Christian is 7-2 against Independence since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Bakersfield Christian Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Independence Falcons at 5:45 p.m. Bakersfield Christian has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 271 points over their last four matches.
In what's become a running theme this season, Bakersfield Christian gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 70-6 victory over Highland. That 64 points margin sets a new team best for Bakersfield Christian this season.
Among those leading the charge was Ruby Yanagi, who scored 20 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Destiny Francies was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Independence posted their biggest victory since November 18, 2023 on Friday. Everything went their way against Stockdale as Independence made off with a 54-28 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Independence has posted against Stockdale since January 8, 2016.
Independence relied on the efforts of Olivia Fletcher, who scored 17 points along with seven steals, and Kaylynn Bolden, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 16 rebounds. Bolden has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last 14 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Victoria Castaneda, who scored ten points.
Bakersfield Christian's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-6. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.7 points per game. As for Independence, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-10.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Bakersfield Christian hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 53.2 points per game. It's a different story for Independence, though, as they've been averaging only 42.9 points per game. The only thing between Bakersfield Christian and another offensive beatdown is Independence. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Bakersfield Christian beat Independence 55-47 in their previous meeting back in February of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bakersfield Christian since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
