Royal is 1-9 against Simi Valley since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Royal Highlanders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Simi Valley Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. Royal is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
Last Friday, Royal came up short against Camarillo and fell 40-29. Royal has struggled against Camarillo recently, as their match on Friday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Simi Valley posted their biggest win since November 14, 2023 on Friday. They breezed by Hillcrest Christian at home to the tune of 84-43. Given Simi Valley's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 164th, while Hillcrest Christian is ranked 597th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Ryder Mjoen, who scored 26 points along with three steals. Mjoen is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. Justin Rener was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with two steals.
Royal has not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 17-6 record this season. As for Simi Valley, they pushed their record up to 14-9 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Royal came up short against Simi Valley in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, falling 60-49. Can Royal avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
