Basketball Game Preview: Norco Cougars vs. Santiago Sharks

The Norco Cougars will square off against the Santiago Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Last Thursday, Norco came up short against King and fell 51-38. The Cougars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Caleb Ward

Rebounds (Career)

01/16/25 @ King	7
11/29/24 vs South	6
01/14/25 @ Centennial	5
01/03/25 @ Yucaipa	5
11/30/24 @ North	5

Despite the defeat, Norco had strong showings from Caleb Ward, who posted ten points along with seven boards and three steals, and Ryan Ibbetson, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds. The dominant performance gave Ward a new career-high in boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Edgar Mojica, who put up three points and three steals.

Meanwhile, Santiago didn't have quite enough to beat King on Tuesday and fell 69-66. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Sharks have suffered against the Wolves since February 5, 2020.

Santiago has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 18-8 record this season. As for Norco, their record is now 7-16.

Norco beat Santiago 80-72 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Norco since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.