The Rio Linda Knights will face off against the Sutter Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a four-game winning streak alive.
If Rio Linda beats Sutter with 66 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Rio Linda simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat El Camino 66-35. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten games by 23 points or more this season.
| 01/14/25 vs El Camino | 10 |
| 01/23/24 @ Casa Roble | 8 |
| 01/02/24 vs Casa Roble | 6 |
| 02/02/24 vs Woodland | 6 |
| 12/10/24 vs Center | 6 |
Rio Linda got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was LaRay Mitchell out in front who dropped a triple-double on 13 points, 11 rebounds, and ten steals. Those ten steals gave Mitchell a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kyrri Mitchell, who went 8 of 17 on her way to 20 points and six steals.
Rio Linda smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Sutter beat Dixon 41-31 on Tuesday. Given the Huskies' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 426th, while the Rams are ranked 865th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Rio Linda better keep an eye on Torrence Harter. She was instrumental in Sutter's win, dropping a triple-double on 20 points, 13 boards, and 14 steals. Harter has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 47 times she's played. Grace Ketterling was another key player, putting up six points.
Rio Linda's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-3. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points per game. As for Sutter, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Rio Linda has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 34.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Sutter 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.
Everything went Rio Linda's way against Sutter in their previous matchup back in December of 2017, as Rio Linda made off with a 65-44 victory. Does Rio Linda have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sutter turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
