Basketball Game Preview: Dinuba Emperors vs. Hanford Bullpups

The Dinuba Emperors will face off against the Hanford Bullpups at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Dinuba will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.

If Hanford heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Dinuba took over last week. Dinuba was the clear victor by a 55-30 margin over Mission Oak on Thursday. The Emperors have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 23 points or more this season.

It was another big night for Jalissa Espirito, who posted 25 points along with five rebounds and four steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last 15 games she's played. Kathryne Forbes was another key player, putting up six points in addition to seven boards and five assists.

Dinuba smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Hanford had to suffer through a 68-34 loss at the hands of Morro Bay. While losing is never fun, the Bullpups can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 869th, while the Pirates are ranked 378th).

Dinuba pushed their record up to 15-5 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.3 points per game. As for Hanford, they have been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-14 record this season.

Everything came up roses for Dinuba against Hanford when the teams last played on January 9th, as the team secured a 73-25 victory. In that game, Dinuba amassed a halftime lead of 53-4, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Wednesday.