Basketball Preview: California Trojans vs. Geibel Catholic Gators
California has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Geibel Catholic Gators at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Saturday, California suffered a tough 58-38 defeat at the hands of the Raiders. California was down 54-21 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Despite the defeat, California had strong showings from Hunter Brown, who scored ten points, and Jayden Knox, who scored seven points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Brown has scored all season.
Meanwhile, Geibel Catholic came into Friday's match having lost 22 straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They managed a 62-58 victory over Mapletown on Friday. That looming 62-58 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Geibel Catholic yet this season.
Geibel Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tommy Kolencik, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 14 rebounds. Kolencik hasn't dropped below two blocks for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Gary Tarbuk, who scored 24 points along with five assists and two steals.
California's defeat dropped their record down to 6-14. As for Geibel Catholic, their victory ended a 12-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 1-19.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: California have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Geibel Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
California beat the Gators 61-52 when the teams last played back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for California since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
