Preview: Oxnard Yellowjackets vs. Village Christian Crusaders
The Oxnard Yellowjackets will head out on the road to face off against the Village Christian Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Oxnard focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Thursday.
Oxnard unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak. They fell 54-43 to Ventura. Oxnard has not had much luck with Ventura recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.
Oxnard's defeat came about despite a quality game from Mikayla Oliver, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Sienna Angell, who scored ten points along with two steals.
In what's become a running theme this season, Village Christian gave their fans yet another huge victory on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 72-46 margin over Valley Christian. Given Village Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 36th, while Valley Christian is ranked 683rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Village Christian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alanna Neale, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Mulligan, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Oxnard's loss ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 22-6. As for Village Christian, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Oxnard have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Village Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
