Preview: Big Bear Bears vs. Hesperia Christian Patriots
The Big Bear Bears will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against the Hesperia Christian Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Big Bear has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 520 points over their last eight matchups.
Big Bear can now show off ten landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They really took it to Cobalt Institute of Math & Science Academy for the full four quarters, racking up a 68-38 victory on the road. That's two games straight that Big Bear has won by exactly 30 points.
Big Bear's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Aiden Brewer, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds. Brewer has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last six times he's played. Ryder Dolan was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and 16 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hesperia Christian was able to grind out a solid win over University Prep on Friday, taking the game 43-35.
Hesperia Christian got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ethan Flores out in front who scored 15 points along with nine rebounds and two blocks. Flores is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jackson Lake, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds.
Big Bear has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 17-5 record this season. As for Hesperia Christian, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Big Bear have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 39.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Hesperia Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 44.9 rebounds per game. Given Big Bear's sizeable advantage in that area, Hesperia Christian will need to find a way to close that gap.
Big Bear beat Hesperia Christian 55-44 in their previous matchup on January 5th. The rematch might be a little tougher for Big Bear since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
