The Elsinore Tigers are taking a road trip to face off against the Norwalk Lancers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Elsinore has given up an average of 49.6 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Elsinore is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against San Jacinto on Tuesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Elsinore was outmatched by San Jacinto and fell 60-27. While losing is never fun, Elsinore can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1078th, while San Jacinto is ranked 483rd).
Elsinore's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Niara Smith, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Amiyah Garrison, who posted no points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sharlotte Savedra, who had six points.
Meanwhile, Norwalk hadn't done well against Mayfair recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Lancers were the clear victors by a 54-32 margin over the Monsoons. The Lancers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 20 points or more this season.
Elsinore better focus on containing Isha Morales and Connie Esquivel as the pair were huge in Norwalk's win. Morales went 5-for-10 en route to 13 points and eight boards, while Esquivel dropped a double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds. What's more, Esquivel posted two blocks, the most she's had since back in January of 2025. Another player making a difference was Katlyn Moreno, who earned nine points.
Norwalk was working as a unit and finished the game with ten assists. They are 10-2 when they've passed the ball that well.
Norwalk is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.0 points over those games. As for Elsinore, their defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 5-18.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elsinore has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 35.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Norwalk struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
