The Novato Hornets will head out to face off against the Point Arena Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Novato has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 177 points over their last three matches.
Last Saturday, Novato came up short against Rancho Cotate and fell 67-60. While losing is never fun, the Hornets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 799th, while the Cougars are ranked 162nd).
Meanwhile, Point Arena came tearing into two weeks ago's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Titans 53-20. The Pirates have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 20 points or more this season.
Novato better keep an eye on Fernando Lopez. He was instrumental in Point Arena's win, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 11 boards. Lopez is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down 11 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Cody Chavez, who posted seven points in addition to eight rebounds and five steals.
Point Arena smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 16 offensive boards in 38 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Point Arena has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.4 points per game. As for Novato, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.
Novato beat Point Arena 68-61 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lopez, who shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc and dropped a double-double on 29 points and 11 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Novato still be able to contain Lopez? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
