Basketball Game Preview: Ripon Christian Knights vs. Escalon Cougars

The Ripon Christian Knights will challenge the Escalon Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, Ripon Christian came up short against Ripon and fell 38-31.

Meanwhile, Escalon humbled Hughson with a 58-22 victory. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 20 points or more this season.

Ripon Christian better focus on containing Arianna Velasco and Madi Babasa as the pair were huge in Escalon's win. Velasco dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 steals, while Babasa went 6 of 15 en route to 23 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. Velasco is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 15 games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Aiden Hohenwarter, who posted 11 points and eight boards.

Escalon was working as a unit and finished the game with 11 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hughson only posted four assists.

Escalon is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 9-9 record this season. As for Ripon Christian, they have also traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season.

Ripon Christian came up short against Escalon in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, falling 44-39. Will Ripon Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.