The Independence Falcons will face off against the Bakersfield Drillers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
It was a Battle of the Birds when Independence challenged Bakersfield Christian on Tuesday. Independence lost 66-44 to Bakersfield Christian. While losing is never fun, the Falcons can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 419th, while the Eagles are ranked 139th).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bakersfield, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. Everything went their way against Ridgeview on Tuesday as Bakersfield made off with a 70-49 victory. The Drillers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Independence better keep an eye on Kade Johnson. He was instrumental in Bakersfield's win, going 13 for 26 en route to 30 points and five rebounds. They are 13-4 when Johnson posts 25 or more points, but 2-4 otherwise. Keshawn Black was another key player, going 5 of 8 on his way to 12 points along with five boards and three steals.
Bakersfield smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Bakersfield's win bumped their record up to 15-8. As for Independence, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 13-8.
Independence came out on top in a nail-biter against Bakersfield in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, sneaking past 66-63. Will Independence repeat their success, or does Bakersfield have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
