Basketball Game Preview: Del Lago Academy Firebirds vs. Santana Sultans

The Del Lago Academy Firebirds will take on the Santana Sultans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Del Lago Academy: 29.8, Santana: 26.5) so any points scored will be well earned.

Del Lago Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They managed a 29-25 victory over Coronado. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Firebirds.

Meanwhile, Santana really took it to O'Farrell Charter for the full four quarters, racking up a 50-19 win. The Sultans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Santana's win came from a few key players Del Lago Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kaliyah Cruz, who posted 12 points along with five rebounds and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Harper Diaz, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Del Lago Academy pushed their record up to 15-9 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 23.0 points over those games. As for Santana, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 24-6 record this season.

Del Lago Academy came up short against Santana when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 46-34. Can Del Lago Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.