Basketball Game Preview: Berean Christian Eagles vs. Ygnacio Valley Wolves

The Berean Christian Eagles will challenge the Ygnacio Valley Wolves at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Friday, Berean Christian came up short against Alhambra and fell 40-27. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 714th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 202nd).

Meanwhile, Ygnacio Valley can bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Concord, sneaking past 40-37. The team accrued 29 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory.

Berean Christian better keep an eye on Sa'Rye Starks. She was instrumental in Ygnacio Valley's win, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 14 rebounds. That makes it 11 consecutive games in which Starks has scored at least a third of Ygnacio Valley's points. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Tatom, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten boards.

Ygnacio Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Berean Christian has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-11 record this season. As for Ygnacio Valley, their win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 4-8.

Berean Christian strolled past Ygnacio Valley in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 by a score of 62-43. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Starks, who went 11 of 25 on her way to 31 points and three steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Berean Christian still be able to contain Starks? There's only one way to find out.