Basketball Recap: Rio Linda Extends Winning Streak to Nine

Knights

Previous Games

01/30/25 @ Natomas	70-48
01/28/25 vs Dixon	52-33
01/24/25 @ Destiny Christian Academy	71-32
01/21/25 @ Woodland	73-11
01/17/25 vs Sutter	74-29
+ 4 more games

Rio Linda had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32.5 points) and they went ahead and made it nine on Thursday. They blew past the Natomas Nighthawks 70-48. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 260th, while the Nighthawks are ranked 702nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Rio Linda got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Savannah Grant out in front who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards. That's the most points Grant has posted since back in December of 2024. Mariah Walton was another key player, going 8 for 13 en route to 21 points and three steals.

Rio Linda smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in nine consecutive matchups.

Despite the loss, Natomas still got an impressive performance from Tyrice Hopkins, who put up 24 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Mikilah Mitchell, who scored nine points.

Rio Linda pushed their record up to 19-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.5 points over those games. As for Natomas, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-10 record this season.

Rio Linda wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 53-16 win against Casa Roble on the 31st. As for Natomas, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 48-33 loss against Dixon on the 31st.