Basketball Game Preview: Orcutt Academy Spartans vs. El Diamante Miners

The Orcutt Academy Spartans and the El Diamante Miners will face off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday without much rest having both just played. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Orcutt Academy's tournament run continued when they took on Tehachapi on Friday. Everything went Orcutt Academy's way against Tehachapi as Orcutt Academy made off with a 58-38 victory. The Spartans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.

Elizabeth Johnson was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 28 points and 14 boards. The game was her 20th in a row with at least ten points. Iraya Bell-Jackson was another key player, putting up nine points.

Orcutt Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in 20 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, El Diamante didn't have too much trouble with Western on Friday as they won 63-46. The win was all the more spectacular given the Miners' disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 236th in California, while the Warriors are ranked 27th in Nevada).

El Diamante has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points per game. As for Orcutt Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 10-2.

Orcutt Academy didn't have too much breathing room in their game against El Diamante in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 58-52 win. Does Orcutt Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will El Diamante turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.