Basketball Game Preview: Don Lugo Conquistadores vs. United Christian Academy Eagles

Having just played yesterday, the Don Lugo Conquistadores will jump right back in to play the United Christian Academy Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

Don Lugo saw some tournament action on Thursday. They took a 36-30 hit to the loss column at the hands of San Marino.

Despite their loss, Don Lugo saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Maya Hodges, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Hodges has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times she's played.

Meanwhile, United Christian Academy waltzed into their match on Thursday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 58-34 victory. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 170th, while the Tigers are ranked 543rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Don Lugo better focus on containing Natalie Estrada and Gigi Marquez as the pair were huge in United Christian Academy's win. Estrada dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Marquez posted 23 points. With that strong performance, Estrada is now averaging an impressive 8.2 rebounds per game. Jordin Edwards was another key player, putting up eight points along with five assists and three steals.

United Christian Academy's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Don Lugo, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Don Lugo has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.5 boards per game. However, it's not like United Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.