Preview: Otay Ranch Mustangs vs. Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders
The Otay Ranch Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Otay Ranch focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up seven on Saturday.
Last Saturday, Otay Ranch was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 59-54 to Patrick Henry.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Percy Whittaker, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Manuel Franke was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with two steals.
Mater Dei Catholic posted their closest victory since December 9, 2023 on Saturday. They skirted past Temecula Valley 74-71. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Mater Dei Catholic's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lincoln Grogan led the charge by scoring 19 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Josiah Jefferson, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds.
Otay Ranch bumped their record down to 7-16 with that loss, which was their sixth straight on the road. As for Mater Dei Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 12-10.
Wednesday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Otay Ranch have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 42.5% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Mater Dei Catholic struggles in that department as they've nailed 43.9% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Otay Ranch came up short against Mater Dei Catholic in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 74-65. Will Otay Ranch have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
