Basketball Game Preview: Northridge Academy Pumas vs. Fulton Jaguars

Northridge Academy is 10-0 against Fulton since January of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Northridge Academy Pumas will look to defend their home court against the Fulton Jaguars at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Northridge Academy will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up 22 points on January 4th, then bounced right back against Vaughn on Thursday. Northridge Academy took their contest with ease, bagging a 59-8 win over Vaughn. The Pumas have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 20 points or more this season.

Northridge Academy relied on the efforts of Jennalyn Gerona, who went 9 for 13 on her way to 21 points and four steals, and Janelle Estrella, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 14 boards. Those 21 points gave Gerona a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacqueline Nettles, who posted four points along with ten rebounds and six blocks.

Northridge Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Fulton came into Thursday's contest having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 31-19 victory over East Valley on Thursday.

Northridge Academy is also on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.1 points per game. As for Fulton, their win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-5.

Everything came up roses for Northridge Academy against Fulton in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, as the team secured an 81-3 victory. Will Northridge Academy repeat their success, or does Fulton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.