Preview: Palm Desert Aztecs vs. Xavier Prep Saints
Palm Desert is 8-2 against Xavier Prep since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Palm Desert Aztecs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Xavier Prep Saints at 6:30 p.m. The timing is sure in Palm Desert's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Xavier Prep has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.
Palm Desert suffered their biggest defeat since December 13, 2023 on Tuesday. They were the victim of a rough 57-37 defeat at the hands of Palm Springs. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Palm Desert has scored all season.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jake Brande, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jecorey Jones, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds.
Xavier Prep posted their closest victory yet this season on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged La Quinta out 42-39. The win was just what Xavier Prep needed coming off of a 84-42 loss in their prior game.
Xavier Prep's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Johnny Ferrel, who scored 11 points, and Paul Dreisbach, who scored 21 points along with four steals. That makes it five consecutive games in which Dreisbach has scored at least a third of Xavier Prep's points.
Palm Desert's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 19-4. As for Xavier Prep, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-17.
Thursday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Palm Desert have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 40.7% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Xavier Prep, though, as they've only nailed 33.4% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Palm Desert against Xavier Prep in their previous meeting back in December of 2023 as the team secured a 76-42 win. With Palm Desert ahead 44-19 at the half, the game was all but over already.
