Basketball Game Preview: Wheatland Pirates vs. Lincoln Fighting Zebras

Wheatland is 0-4 against Lincoln since December of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Wheatland Pirates will be playing at home against the Lincoln Fighting Zebras at 7:30 p.m.

Wheatland is headed into Friday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Wednesday. They had to suffer through a 61-24 loss at the hands of Mira Loma.

Meanwhile, Lincoln waltzed into their match on Wednesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 66-50 win over the Bruins. Given the Fighting Zebras' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 345th, while the Bruins are ranked 748th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Wheatland better keep an eye on Michael Neely. He was instrumental in Lincoln's win, dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds. That's the most points Neely has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Volzer, who posted 11 points and three steals.

Lincoln smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.

Lincoln is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.6 points per game. As for Wheatland, their loss dropped their record down to 6-11.

Wheatland was dealt a bruising 83-25 defeat at the hands of Lincoln in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Thankfully for Wheatland, Lucas Nelson (who went 6 for 7 on his way to 18 points and six steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.