Basketball Game Preview: Rancho Verde Mustangs vs. JW North Huskies

The Rancho Verde Mustangs will venture away from home to challenge the JW North Huskies at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Rancho Verde will be strutting in after a win while JW North will be coming in after a loss.

Rancho Verde took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 63-24 victory over Orange Vista.

Meanwhile, JW North ended up a good deal behind Canyon Springs on Thursday and lost 45-30. While losing is never fun, the Huskies can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1132nd, while the Cougars are ranked 417th).

Rancho Verde will need focus on slowing down Maya Marmolejo, one of several JW North players who made an impact when they last played. She posted 11 points. Marmolejo is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Avery Aguilar, who put up eight points and three steals.

Even though they lost, JW North smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.

JW North's defeat was their fourth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 4-14. As for Rancho Verde, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.

Everything came up roses for Rancho Verde against JW North in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 56-19 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Rancho Verde since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.