Preview: Copper Mountain Fighting Cacti at Chaffey Panthers

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (Interstat) — A pair of California community college men’s basketball teams heading in opposite directions will meet Wednesday when the Copper Mountain Fighting Cacti visit the Chaffey Panthers.

Copper Mountain (11-6) enters the contest looking to rebound from a narrow 64-60 road loss to Victor Valley on Saturday. Prior to that, the Fighting Cacti had won three of their last four games, including a 90-77 victory over Palo Verde on Jan. 7. Their season has been marked by a strong home presence, but they will be tested on the road.

The Chaffey Panthers (8-9), meanwhile, are seeking consistency after a 72-83 loss at Barstow on Jan. 10 snapped a brief two-game winning streak. The Panthers have shown offensive firepower, scoring 118 points in a win over Palo Verde on Jan. 3, but have also struggled defensively in several losses.

A key matchup will feature two guards capable of filling the stat sheet. For Copper Mountain, Deven Taylor will look for an increased role after a season-high 10 minutes and eight points in a Dec. 22 loss at Pasadena City. Chaffey will counter with Kameron Gardner, who is coming off a dynamic performance in the loss to Barstow, where he tallied 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in just one minute of play, according to available statistics. Gardner also had a 12-point game against San Bernardino Valley in December.

The Panthers will have home-court advantage as they attempt to climb back to .500, while the Fighting Cacti aim to solidify their winning record. The outcome could hinge on which team better controls the tempo and capitalizes on transition opportunities.

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. They are slated to play again at Copper Mountain on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Wednesday’s game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. PST tipoff at Chaffey College.