SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — A marquee men’s junior college basketball showdown is set for Friday night when the state’s top two teams, the San Francisco Rams and the San Mateo Bulldogs, clash in a California Community College Athletic Association conference game.

The Rams (15-1), whose only loss came to West Valley (64-56) on Dec. 18, enter on a seven-game winning streak. They are coming off a 70-57 road victory over Canada College on Jan. 9. San Francisco’s offense has been potent, scoring 100 or more points twice this season, including a 107-53 rout of Contra Costa on Dec. 20.

The Bulldogs (13-3) aim to bounce back from their first defeat in nearly a month, a narrow 77-75 overtime road loss to Chabot on Jan. 9. Prior to that, San Mateo had won six straight, a run that included a 72-69 overtime win at Ohlone on Jan. 7. The Bulldogs have shown a strong defense, holding opponents under 60 points in seven of their victories.

This matchup is the first of two regular-season meetings between the rivals, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 11 in San Mateo. Friday’s contest carries significant weight for conference positioning and state ranking.

San Francisco’s schedule shows a game against Ohlone on Jan. 14, but that result was not provided. San Mateo has no intervening game before Friday.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. PST at San Francisco’s home court. The winner will seize early control of the conference race and solidify its claim as the team to beat in California.