Basketball Game Preview: Immanuel Christian Warriors vs. Santa Teresa Desert Warriors

The Immanuel Christian Warriors will challenge the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

On Tuesday, Immanuel Christian made easy work of Fort Hancock and carried off a 70-49 win. The Warriors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matches by 21 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Santa Teresa can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 57-41 victory over Varsity Opponent.

Immanuel Christian better focus on containing Raymund Zavala and Josiah Rodriguez as the pair were huge in Santa Teresa's win. Zavala went 5 of 10 en route to 11 points and seven steals, while Rodriguez dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds. The dominant performance gave Zavala a new career-high in steals. Another player making a difference was Ulysses Montes, who posted seven points.

Immanuel Christian is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a massive bump to their 10-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.1 points per game. As for Santa Teresa, their win bumped their record up to 5-9.

Immanuel Christian didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Santa Teresa in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, but they still walked away with a 59-53 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Santa Teresa's Erik Saldana, who had 17 points and three steals. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Immanuel Christian to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.