Basketball Game Preview: West Valley Mustangs vs. Elsinore Tigers

West Valley hasn't had much luck against Elsinore recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The West Valley Mustangs will be playing at home against the Elsinore Tigers at 6:45 p.m. West Valley is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.2 points per game this season.

West Valley is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Wednesday. They took a hard 62-47 fall against Temescal Canyon.

West Valley might have lost, but man, Malachi Black was a machine: he went 9 for 20 on his way to 26 points in addition to six boards and four steals. Black is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jamessen Lima, who posted six points.

Meanwhile, Elsinore waltzed into their game on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They really took it to the Titans for the full four quarters, racking up a 71-37 win. That 34 point margin sets a new team best for the Tigers this season.

Elsinore's win came from a few key players West Valley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brandon Boatman, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 15 points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Kamrynn Nathan, who had 13 points.

Elsinore is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a massive bump to their 11-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.7 points per game. As for West Valley, they now have a losing record at 8-9.

West Valley lost to Elsinore at home by a decisive 68-50 margin in their previous meeting back in November of 2023. Can West Valley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.