Tri-City Christian had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past the Foothills Christian Knights 69-36 on Thursday. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 277th in California, while the Knights are ranked 642nd in California), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Dre Cleaves
| 02/20/25 vs Foothills Christian | 80% |
| 02/18/25 vs San Diego Jewish Academy | 57% |
| 02/13/25 @ Del Lago Academy | 55% |
| 02/12/25 @ Rock Academy | 40% |
| 02/11/25 @ St. Joseph Academy | 44% |
| + 25 more games |
Leading Tri-City Christian to victory were Dre Cleaves and Jeramiah Turner. Cleaves went 8-for-10 en route to 22 points and five rebounds, while Turner went 5-for-10 to rack up 14 points in addition to six assists and five boards. What's more, Cleaves also posted an 80% shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Joel Valverde, who posted five points along with eight rebounds and five steals.
When it comes to explaining why Foothills Christian lost, don't look at Patrick Delahoussaye. Despite the final result, he had 20 points. Delahoussaye's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 20 points. Joey Turk was another key player, putting up nine points.
Tri-City Christian has been performing well recently as they've won 15 of their last 18 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-9 record this season. Foothills Christian moved to 19-11 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak.
Tri-City Christian didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 79-55 win against Escondido Charter on the 25th. Foothills Christian does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
