Basketball Game Preview: Marquez Gladiators vs. Walnut Mustangs

The Marquez Gladiators will face off against the Walnut Mustangs at 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Walnut will be up against a hot Marquez squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. Marquez walked away with a 67-57 victory over Paramount on Saturday.

Elyjah Staples

Points

01/18/25 vs Paramount	25
01/06/25 vs Maywood Academy	24
01/04/25 vs Jordan	17
01/16/25 vs Torres	13
01/15/25 vs Buena Park	11

Marquez found their leader in sophomore Elyjah Staples, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 20 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Staples has scored all season. Cravon Charles was another key player, dropping a double-double on ten points and 14 boards.

Marquez smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Walnut fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Glendora on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Tartans 71-66. The Mustangs' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Marquez's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-8-1. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.6 points per game. As for Walnut, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 15-7.

Marquez was able to grind out a solid victory over Walnut when the teams last played back in January of 2024, winning 53-44. Will Marquez repeat their success, or does Walnut have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.