Holtville is 9-1 against Central since February of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Holtville Vikings are on the road again and plays the Central Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on February 9th. Holtville comes in on a streak of failing to score more than 21 points in their last three games, a trend the team is of course eager to reverse.
Holtville struggled with assists last Tuesday (Imperial had ten more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Holtville had to suffer through a rough 41-14 loss at the hands of Imperial. While losing is never fun, Holtville can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1097th, while Imperial is ranked 511th).
Holtville's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Vanessa Gonzalez, who scored seven points along with 16 rebounds and six blocks, and Jasmine Garewal who scored seven points along with 14 rebounds and three blocks. Garewal hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for 17 straight games.
Meanwhile, Central was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 51-47 to Palo Verde Valley. Central has not had much luck with Palo Verde Valley recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Julianna Estrada, who scored five points along with six assists and six steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Victoria Zamora, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and five steals.
Holtville has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-15 record this season. Central's record is now 9-14.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Holtville have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 41.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Holtville was taken down by Central 55-21 when the teams last played back in January. Can Holtville avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
