Basketball Game Preview: San Rafael Bulldogs vs. Branson Bulls

San Rafael hasn't had much luck against Branson recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The San Rafael Bulldogs will venture away from home to take on the Branson Bulls at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, San Rafael turned things around against Novato on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 72-48 margin over the Hornets. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 22 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Branson entered their tilt with Tamalpais on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They claimed a resounding 76-46 win over the Red Tailed Hawks. Given the Bulls' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 155th, while the Red Tailed Hawks are ranked 721st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Branson is also on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.8 points per game. As for San Rafael, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 14-6.

San Rafael might still be hurting after the 68-45 loss they got from Branson when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Can San Rafael avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.