Basketball Game Preview: Savanna Rebels vs. Loara Saxons

Having just played yesterday, the Savanna Rebels will get right back to it and host the Loara Saxons at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Savanna is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.3 points per game this season.

Savanna is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Rancho Alamitos just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Friday. The matchup between them and the Vaqueros didn't end well, with Savanna falling 70-53. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Rebels came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 473rd, while the Vaqueros are ranked 958th).

The losing side was boosted by Mathys Rudel, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 boards. Another player making a difference was Paul Henderson, who posted 12 points and three steals.

Even though they lost, Savanna smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 3.6 offensive boards per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 12.6.

Meanwhile, Loara lost to Orange at home by a 70-51 margin on Tuesday.

Loara's loss dropped their record down to 5-15. As for Savanna, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 13-7.

Savanna was able to grind out a solid win over Loara when the teams last played back in January of 2024, winning 79-66. Will Savanna repeat their success, or does Loara have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.