The Pinole Valley Spartans will challenge the El Cerrito Gauchos at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Pinole Valley needed a bit of extra time to put away Bethel. They escaped with a win against the Jaguars by the margin of a single free throw, 53-52. The victory was some much needed relief for the Spartans as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Ahmari Otis continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, putting up 24 points and six boards. Jaylin Reed was another key player, posting eight points along with 16 boards and three blocks.
Pinole Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in January of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask El Cerrito). They took their matchup on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 109-22 win over Richmond. While the Gauchos didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Pinole Valley's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-8. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.7 points per game. As for El Cerrito, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season.
Pinole Valley strolled past El Cerrito in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 by a score of 68-52. Does Pinole Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will El Cerrito turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
