Basketball Game Preview: Portola Tigers vs. Hamilton Braves

The Portola Tigers will challenge the Hamilton Braves at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Portola knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 matchups -- so hopefully Hamilton likes a good challenge.

Last Tuesday, Portola beat Biggs 67-59.

Connor Sheridan continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 24 boards. The game was his 11th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Magnus Berg, who posted 16 points and five rebounds.

Portola smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hamilton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They blew past Williams 54-28 on Tuesday. That 26 point margin sets a new team best for the Braves this season.

Hamilton's win came from a few key players Portola will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kayden Strong, who earned 16 points and eight boards. He has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last six times he's played. Caden Stickney was another key player, putting up six points in addition to 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Hamilton pushed their record up to 10-8 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.8 points per game. As for Portola, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season.

Portola came up short against Hamilton in their previous meeting back in February of 2022, falling 73-62. Can Portola avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.