Basketball Game Preview: Pinole Valley Spartans vs. Bethel Jaguars

The Pinole Valley Spartans are taking a road trip to square off against the Bethel Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Pinole Valley knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Bethel likes a good challenge.

Pinole Valley is headed into the match out to prove that what happened against Saint Mary's on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Pinole Valley lost 85-63 to Saint Mary's. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 519th, while the Panthers are ranked 126th).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ahmari Otis, who went 9 for 19 on his way to 24 points. The game was his fifth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jaylin Reed, who posted 14 points along with seven boards and six assists.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Bethel took on Saint Mary's on Tuesday. Bethel had just enough and edged Saint Mary's out 64-61. That's two games straight that the Jaguars have won by exactly three points.

Pinole Valley has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last 12 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.4 points per game. As for Bethel, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-10.

Pinole Valley barely slipped by Bethel in their previous matchup on January 7th, winning 53-52. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pinole Valley since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.