Basketball Game Preview: Norwalk Lancers vs. Downey Vikings

The Norwalk Lancers will face off against the Downey Vikings at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Last Friday, it was close, but Norwalk sidestepped Firebaugh for a 64-62 win.

Ariel Rodriguez

Steals (Career)

01/03/25 @ Firebaugh	4
12/28/24 vs Magnolia	3
12/19/24 @ Kennedy	3
12/17/24 @ Garden Grove	2
12/03/24 vs El Modena	2

Norwalk's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ariel Rodriguez, who went 9 of 13 en route to 23 points and four steals. Those four steals gave Rodriguez a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Andruw Castellanos, who posted 21 points along with six rebounds and five assists.

Meanwhile, Downey posted their closest win since November 21, 2024 on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 57-55 victory over Warren. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Vikings have posted against the Bears since January 19, 2022.

Downey had a senior duo take command as Emilio Jaimes had 18 points and Tyler Harris put up 17 points. The matchup was Harris' 14th in a row with at least ten points. Earl Santos was another key player, putting up nine points.

Downey pushed their record up to 12-7 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.3 points per game. As for Norwalk, their win bumped their record up to 12-6.

Norwalk suffered a grim 67-46 defeat to Downey in their previous matchup back in December of 2018. Thankfully for Norwalk, Omar Makhlouf (who went 8 of 16 on his way to 17 points and seven rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.