The Palmdale Aerospace Academy and Vasquez are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Palmdale Aerospace Academy Griffins will host the Vasquez Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Palmdale Aerospace Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Vasquez likes a good challenge.
The Palmdale Aerospace Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Lancaster Baptist 82-25. Given the Griffins' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 598th, while the Eagles are ranked 1304th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Thomas Carrillo
| 11/20/24 vs Barstow | 19 |
| 01/14/25 @ Lancaster Baptist | 15 |
| 12/17/24 vs Desert Christian | 9 |
| 12/09/24 vs Excelsior Charter | 8 |
| 12/12/24 vs Faith Baptist | 7 |
The Palmdale Aerospace Academy relied on the efforts of Thomas Carrillo, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 15 points in addition to five assists and four steals, and Johnathan Wogu, who went 8 for 12 en route to 18 points and four steals. That's the most points Carrillo has posted since back in November of 2024. Tobi Akinsete was another key player, going 5 for 9 on his way to 10 points and six steals.
They weren't the only one working in the assists department: The Palmdale Aerospace Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 24 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Vasquez had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.3 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Wednesday. They came out on top against the Crusaders by a score of 74-62.
Vasquez's win came from a few key players The Palmdale Aerospace Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Daeron Bankett, who went 6 of 11 en route to 17 points. Another player making a difference was Noah Rowley, who posted 15 points and three steals.
Vasquez's win bumped their record up to 15-5. As for The Palmdale Aerospace Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 13-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: The Palmdale Aerospace Academy has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 35.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Vasquez struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
The Palmdale Aerospace Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Vasquez in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, sneaking past 79-77. Does The Palmdale Aerospace Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Vasquez turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
