El Dorado and Liberty Ranch are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The El Dorado Cougars will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against the Liberty Ranch Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
El Dorado is headed into the contest having just posted their closest victory since November 22, 2023 on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 39-37 win over Rosemont.
| 01/29/25 @ Rosemont | 20 |
| 01/21/25 vs Amador | 16 |
| 01/17/25 vs Bradshaw Christian | 16 |
| 12/28/24 vs Roseville | 13 |
| 01/14/25 vs Galt | 13 |
El Dorado's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Addisyn Bare, who posted 11 points along with eight rebounds and five steals, and Keira Hennefer, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 20 boards. The dominant performance gave Hennefer a new career-high in boards.
El Dorado smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Liberty Ranch entered their tilt with Amador on Wednesday with 17 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 18. They came out on top against the Buffaloes by a score of 46-37. Given the Hawks' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 178th, while the Buffaloes are ranked 707th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
El Dorado better focus on containing Haley Smith and Madisyn Robbins as the pair were huge in Liberty Ranch's win. Smith earned 19 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals, while Robbins went 6 for 10 en route to 12 points and five boards. The game was Smith's fourth in a row with at least ten points.
Liberty Ranch pushed their record up to 20-2 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home. As for El Dorado, their win bumped their record up to 13-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: El Dorado has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 38.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Liberty Ranch struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
El Dorado ended up a good deal behind Liberty Ranch in their previous matchup back in January, losing 43-25. Will El Dorado 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.
