Basketball Game Preview: Argonaut Mustangs vs. Liberty Ranch Hawks

Argonaut is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Liberty Ranch is on a 11-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Argonaut Mustangs will host the Liberty Ranch Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Tuesday, Argonaut didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against El Dorado, but they still walked away with a 50-46 victory. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly four points.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Argonaut to victory, but perhaps none more so than Alayna Critchfield, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 23 rebounds. Critchfield is crushing it when it comes to boards: she's pulled down at least eight every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Avila, who posted 17 points and five assists.

Argonaut smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Liberty Ranch beat Amador 46-37 on Wednesday. Given the Hawks' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 185th, while the Buffaloes are ranked 709th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Argonaut has also been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 13-9 record this season. As for Liberty Ranch, their win bumped their record up to 20-2.

Argonaut came up short against Liberty Ranch when the teams last played on January 14th, falling 59-46. Will Argonaut have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.