Basketball Game Preview: Union Mine Diamondbacks vs. Liberty Ranch Hawks

The Union Mine Diamondbacks will head out to square off against the Liberty Ranch Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.

Union Mine is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past John Adams Academy - El Dorado Hills, posting a 65-23 win. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Diamondbacks with their most commanding win of the season.

Union Mine's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Kamdyn Keeler, who went 7 for 11 on her way to 18 points in addition to five boards and three steals, and Kyra Wooden, who posted 14 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. That's the most points Keeler has posted since back in December of 2023. Adriana Cavallaro was another key player, putting up ten points along with six boards and three steals.

Meanwhile, Liberty Ranch came tearing into Friday's match with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18 points) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Bruins with a sharp 66-40 victory. The Hawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 20 points or more this season.

Liberty Ranch pushed their record up to 11-2 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 33.4 points. As for Union Mine, their victory bumped their record up to 4-10.

Union Mine suffered a grim 58-33 defeat to Liberty Ranch in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Liberty Ranch's Haley Smith, who had 21 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. Now that Union Mine knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.