Basketball Game Preview: Hanford Bullpups vs. Dinuba Emperors

The Hanford Bullpups will take on the Dinuba Emperors at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing isn't great for Hanford: they have been struggling with six straight losses at home dating back to last season, while Dinuba has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.

Hanford will head into Saturday's contest eager for some revenge after what happened against Morro Bay: Hanford managed to slip by Morro Bay the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. Hanford was dealt a 68-34 defeat at the hands of Morro Bay on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Bullpups can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 869th, while the Pirates are ranked 378th).

Meanwhile, Dinuba's game on Thursday was all tied up 16-16 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They were the clear victor by a 55-30 margin over Mission Oak. The Emperors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matchups by 23 points or more this season.

Hanford better keep an eye on Jalissa Espirito. She was instrumental in Dinuba's win, putting up 25 points along with five boards and four steals. Espirito is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last 15 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kathryne Forbes, who posted six points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists.

Dinuba smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in four consecutive games.

Dinuba is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.1 points per game. As for Hanford, their loss dropped their record down to 3-14.

Hanford was dealt a bruising 73-25 defeat at the hands of Dinuba when the teams last played on January 9th. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Espirito, who had 22 points and eight steals. Now that Hanford knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.