The Patrick Henry Patriots will take on the Escondido Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Patrick Henry comes in on three and Escondido on four.
Patrick Henry is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 72-11 win over Calipatria. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten matches by 20 points or more this season.
Kimora Nears
| 02/18/25 vs Calipatria | 3 |
| 02/13/25 vs Crawford | 2 |
| 01/31/25 @ Madison | 1 |
| 01/28/25 vs Mission Bay | 2 |
| 01/21/25 vs Point Loma | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
Patrick Henry's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kimora Nears, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. What's more, Nears also posted three steals, the most she's had since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ally Mangahis, who went 5-for-10 on her way to 13 points in addition to seven boards and four steals.
Patrick Henry smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Escondido made easy work of Escondido Adventist Academy on Tuesday and carried off a 64-38 win. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Cougars just coasted through the last quarter.
Escondido's win came from a few key players Patrick Henry will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Anaya McGlory, who dropped a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Her evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 21 points. Naomi Gutierrez was another key player, dropping a double-double with 15 points and 16 boards.
Escondido pushed their record up to 10-13 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points over those games. As for Patrick Henry, their win bumped their record up to 20-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Patrick Henry has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Escondido struggles in that department as they've been averaging 20.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Patrick Henry might still be hurting after the 60-40 loss they got from Escondido when the teams last played back in December of 2019. Can Patrick Henry avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
