Mater Dei Catholic has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Eastlake Titans at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Mater Dei Catholic lost a heartbreaker when they last took the court, but unfortunately for them the defeat they were handed on on Saturday was a bit more commanding. They were dealt a 69-40 defeat at the hands of Cathedral Catholic. While losing is never fun, Mater Dei Catholic can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 448th, while the Dons are ranked 219th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Promise Martin, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. She hasn't dropped below three steals for five straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Awen Carrillo, who scored eight points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Eastlake was beaten by the Barons 69-34 on Friday. Eastlake was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-11.
Despite the loss, Eastlake had strong showings from Catrice Chan, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds and four steals, and Helen Rosales, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Mater Dei Catholic dropped their record down to 9-14 with that defeat, which was their third straight at home. As for Eastlake, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-13 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Mater Dei Catholic have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Eastlake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mater Dei Catholic skirted past the Titans 45-43 when the teams last played last Friday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mater Dei Catholic since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
