Basketball Game Preview: Mendocino Cardinals vs. Rio Lindo Adventist Spartans

The Mendocino Cardinals will venture away from home to take on the Rio Lindo Adventist Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Mendocino will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.

Mendocino is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They came out on top against Jewish Community by a score of 57-50.

Meanwhile, Rio Lindo Adventist came up short against Summerfield Waldorf last Thursday and fell 52-41.

Mendocino will need to focus on slowing down Jhordany Barcenas, one of several Rio Lindo Adventist players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 11 points and seven boards. Barcenas has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last eight times he's played. Nate Stephens was another key player, putting up eight points.

Mendocino's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-7. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.7 points over those games. As for Rio Lindo Adventist, their loss dropped their record down to 14-5.

Mendocino came up short against Rio Lindo Adventist in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 56-48. Can Mendocino avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.