The Encina Bulldogs and the John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin Patriots will compete for holiday cheer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Encina has four straight victories, John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin has 11 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
Last Wednesday, Encina was able to grind out a solid win over Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy, taking the game 40-29.
Khaliah McDonald and Elise Brandon were among the main playmakers for Encina as the former dropped a double-double on 15 points and 25 rebounds and the latter dropped a double-double on 19 points and 17 rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which Brandon has scored at least a third of Encina's points. Another player making a difference was Mackayla Ensou, who posted two points and five steals.
Encina smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 42 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 16 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin came up short against Foresthill on Wednesday and fell 35-23.
Encina pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.0 points per game. As for John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin, their loss dropped their record down to 0-7.
Encina skirted past John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin 23-21 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Will Encina repeat their success, or does John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
