Basketball Game Preview: Encinal Jets vs. Hayward Farmers

Encinal has gone 8-2 against Hayward recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Encinal Jets will welcome the Hayward Farmers at 5:30 p.m.

Encinal's tournament run continued when they took on Benicia on Saturday. Encinal took a 42-35 hit to the loss column at the hands of Benicia. The Jets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

The losing side was boosted by Jazzy Alcantar, who posted 14 points along with six rebounds and four steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last eight games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklynn Lacy, who put up four points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Hayward escaped with a win on Wednesday against Berkeley by the margin of a single free throw, 32-31.

Hayward's win ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-11. As for Encinal, their loss dropped their record down to 6-6.

Encinal beat Hayward 54-43 when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Does Encinal have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hayward turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.