Basketball Game Preview: Durham Trojans vs. Modoc Braves

The Durham Trojans will challenge the Modoc Braves at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Durham is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They secured a 53-47 W over Portola. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 316th, while the Tigers are ranked 676th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Karla Rangel

Points

02/19/25 vs Portola	13
02/14/25 @ Willows	7
02/11/25 @ Pierce	2
02/07/25 @ Paradise	5
02/04/25 @ Winters	7
+ 19 more games

Durham got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Karla Rangel out in front who posted 13 points. That's the most points Rangel has posted since back in February of 2024. Payton Santos was another key player, dropping a double-double with ten points and 12 boards.

Meanwhile, Modoc waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Hamilton 59-13. Modoc has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 games by 25 points or more this season.

Modoc's win came from a few key players Durham will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Katie Erquiaga, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Caelli DePaul, who went 5-for-7 to rack up 10 points and five steals.

Modoc smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 25 consecutive contests.

Modoc pushed their record up to 21-8 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.4 points over those games. As for Durham, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season.

Durham came up short against Modoc when the teams last played back in February of 2019, falling 40-35. Can Durham avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.