Basketball Game Preview: Hilmar Yellowjackets vs. Orestimba Warriors

Hilmar is 1-8 against Orestimba since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hilmar Yellowjackets will venture away from home to take on the Orestimba Warriors at 5:30 p.m. Hilmar has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Hilmar came up into this matchup off a tough 33-point loss on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Sonora by a score of 45-42 on Tuesday. While the Yellowjackets didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wildcats 14-10 in the first quarter.

Despite their defeat, Hilmar saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Emma Gomes, who went 7 for 14 on her way to 15 points in addition to eight boards and five steals, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Stivers, who went 6 of 9 en route to 14 points.

Meanwhile, Orestimba was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They took a 33-26 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ripon. The defeat was just more heartbreak for the Warriors who fell 41-38 when the teams previously met back in December of 2024.

Hilmar's loss dropped their record down to 5-16. As for Orestimba, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-11.

Hilmar skirted past Orestimba 33-30 when the teams last played back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hilmar since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.