The Bakersfield Drillers will venture away from home to take on the Independence Falcons at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bakersfield knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven games -- so hopefully Independence likes a good challenge.
Bakersfield took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 70-49 margin over Ridgeview. Given the Drillers' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 229th, while the Wolf Pack are ranked 724th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/21/25 vs Ridgeview | 30 |
| 12/27/24 vs Davis Sr. | 25 |
| 12/14/24 vs Porterville | 21 |
| 01/07/25 vs Edison | 21 |
| 01/10/25 vs Monache | 21 |
Kade Johnson continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 13 of 26 on his way to 30 points and five boards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. Keshawn Black was another key player, going 5 for 8 en route to 12 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Independence challenged Bakersfield Christian on Tuesday. Independence lost 66-44 to Bakersfield Christian. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Falcons have suffered against the Eagles since February 4, 2020.
Independence's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 13-8. As for Bakersfield, their record is now 15-8.
Bakersfield couldn't quite finish off Independence in their previous meeting back in January of 2024 and fell 66-63. Can Bakersfield avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
