The Rio Linda Knights will square off against the Marysville Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Rio Linda is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Fortuna by a score of 47-38.
Savannah Grant
| 03/04/25 vs Fortuna | 12 |
| 02/25/25 @ Colfax | 13 |
| 02/20/25 vs Placer | 11 |
| 02/18/25 vs Beyer | 14 |
| 02/13/25 vs Destiny Christian Academy | 8 |
| + 7 more games |
Rio Linda found their leader in sophomore Savannah Grant, who dropped a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Grant is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last 12 games she's played. LaRay Mitchell was another key player, putting up 12 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Marysville strolled past Prospect with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 55-40. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Indians' disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 231st, while the Panthers are ranked 86th).
Rio Linda better focus on containing Demi Boykin and Abigail Pietz as the pair were huge in Marysville's win. Boykin dropped a triple-double with 19 points, ten boards, and ten steals, while Pietz posted 15 points along with seven rebounds and seven steals. Boykin is becoming a predictor of Marysville's success: when she posts at least three steals the team is 22-5 (and 2-3 when she doesn't). Another player making a difference was Lisette Partida, who earned six points and 14 boards.
Marysville smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive games.
Rio Linda is on a roll lately: they've won 18 of their last 19 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 28-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.1 points over those games. Marysville's win bumped their record up to 24-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Rio Linda has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Marysville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Rio Linda strolled past Marysville in their previous meeting back in January of 2020 by a score of 54-37. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Marysville's Karisma Briggs, who dropped a triple-double with ten points, 15 rebounds, and 13 blocks. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for Rio Linda to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
