A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Rancho Cotate Cougars face off against the Ukiah Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday... Rancho Cotate is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.
Last Wednesday, everything came up roses for Rancho Cotate against Healdsburg as the team secured a 79-43 win. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine matches by 21 points or more this season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ukiah, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past St. Vincent de Paul 53-50. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted since December 6, 2023.
Rancho Cotate better keep an eye on Zach Martinez. He was instrumental in Ukiah's win, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 12 rebounds. What's more, Martinez also racked up three steals, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jacob Lunceford, who posted 11 points.
Ukiah smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive games.
Rancho Cotate's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.0 points per game. As for Ukiah, their win bumped their record up to 4-14.
Rancho Cotate came up short against Ukiah in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, falling 56-52. Thankfully for Rancho Cotate, Tony Zacarias (who went 7 of 11 on his way to 22 points and eight boards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
