Encina hasn't had much luck against Forest Lake Christian recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Encina Bulldogs will host the Forest Lake Christian Falcons at 5:30 p.m.
Encina is headed into Tuesday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Friday. They came up short against Sacramento Waldorf, falling 44-24. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1172nd, while the Waves are ranked 572nd).
| 01/31/25 vs Sacramento Waldorf | 3 |
| 01/28/25 @ Futures | 5 |
| 01/24/25 @ John Adams Academy Rsvl/Lin | 7 |
| 01/22/25 @ Chesterton Academy of Sacramento | 4 |
| 01/21/25 @ Victory Christian | 2 |
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Elise Brandon, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten boards. Brandon is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Khaliah McDonald, who posted five points and 17 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Encina smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 16 offensive boards in 17 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Forest Lake Christian had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They walked away with a 39-29 victory over the Vikings.
Forest Lake Christian's win came from a few key players Encina will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kenzie Harrington, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 18 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Bell, who put up 19 points in addition to five rebounds and three blocks.
Encina's defeat dropped their record down to 5-12. As for Forest Lake Christian, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a massive bump to their 14-7 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Encina has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 64.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Forest Lake Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 40.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Encina took a serious blow against Forest Lake Christian when the teams last played back in January, falling 61-32. Will Encina have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
