Basketball Game Preview: Castilleja Gators vs. Palma Chieftains

Castilleja has won five straight games at home, while Palma has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Castilleja Gators will welcome the Palma Chieftains at 6:00 p.m.

Castilleja is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 65-34 win over Pacific Collegiate. The Gators' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Antonia Vlahos was her usual excellent self, going 10-for-14 on her way to 23 points along with eight steals and seven rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Castilleja's points. Another player making a difference was Landry Agnich, who posted 13 points and three steals.

Castilleja smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Palma beat Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit 51-43 on Tuesday.

Castilleja has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.2 points over those games. Palma's victory bumped their record up to 21-3.