Vista del Lago is 1-9 against Hemet since December of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Vista del Lago Ravens will look to defend their home court against the Hemet Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Tuesday, Vista del Lago ended up a good deal behind Perris and lost 74-58.
| 01/21/25 vs Perris | 29 |
| 01/17/25 vs Kaiser | 18 |
| 01/13/25 vs Moreno Valley | 17 |
| 01/16/25 @ Citrus Hill | 15 |
| 01/14/25 vs Paloma Valley | 13 |
Despite the loss, Vista del Lago saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ja'Marion Jackson went 13 for 21 on his way to 29 points and six boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Jackson has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinton Jinna-Smith, who posted eight points.
Even though they lost, Vista del Lago was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Hemet entered their tilt with Perris on Thursday with 17 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 18. They were the clear victor by a 77-55 margin over the Panthers. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 21 points or more this season.
Hemet found their leader in sophomore Matthew Torres, who went 7 of 10 from beyond the arc en route to 33 points and three blocks. Those three blocks gave Torres a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Elijah Alexander, who went 5 for 8 on his way to 11 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Vista del Lago's defeat dropped their record down to 5-18. As for Hemet, their win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Vista del Lago has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hemet struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Vista del Lago took a serious blow against Hemet in their previous matchup on January 9th, falling 78-47. Will Vista del Lago have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
