Basketball Game Preview: Live Oak Acorns vs. Aptos Mariners

Having just played yesterday, the Live Oak Acorns will head out on the road to face off against the Aptos Mariners at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Live Oak's defense has only allowed 25.6 points per game this season, so Aptos' offense will have their work cut out for them.

Live Oak is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 51-32 win over Greenfield. The Acorns pushed the score to 41-13 by the end of the third, a deficit the Bruins cut but never quite recovered from.

Meanwhile, Aptos was beaten by Santa Cruz 67-35 last Wednesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Mariners in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost three in a row.

Live Oak will have to contain Berkeley Ashby as she made an impact in Aptos' last game. She posted 24 points and eight rebounds. Aptos is 7-2 when Ashby posts 15 or more points, but 7-10 otherwise.

Live Oak has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 15 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.2 points over those games. Aptos' loss dropped their record down to 14-12.

Live Oak came up short against Aptos when the teams last played back in February of 2020, falling 46-36. Can Live Oak avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.