Basketball Game Preview: Horace Mann UCLA Community Panthers vs. New West Charter Eagles

The Horace Mann UCLA Community Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the New West Charter Eagles at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Horace Mann UCLA Community has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while New West Charter will come in with six straight victories.

Last Monday, Horace Mann UCLA Community was beaten by Sun Valley Magnet 48-21.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Valerie Manzo Munguia, who posted eight points. That was a full 38.1% of Horace Mann UCLA Community's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's put up more than a third of the team's points. Di?Ore Drayton was another key player, putting up seven points.

Meanwhile, New West Charter strolled past Larchmont Charter with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 46-29. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 377th, while the Timberwolves are ranked 800th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

New West Charter pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 14.5 points per game. As for Horace Mann UCLA Community, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-9.

Horace Mann UCLA Community was taken down by New West Charter 55-0 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can Horace Mann UCLA Community avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.