Preview: Los Angeles Southwest at Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in trajectories will be on display Friday when the surging Los Angeles Southwest College Cougars visit the struggling Long Beach City College Vikings in a California Community College men’s basketball matchup.

The Cougars (13-7) enter on a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last six, most recently an 80-59 rout of Los Angeles Harbor on Jan. 23. In that victory, forward Karifala Conde dominated with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Conde has been a force, averaging a double-double over his last five games, including a 24-point, 11-rebound performance in a win over Los Angeles Trade-Tech on Jan. 7.

Long Beach (4-15), meanwhile, has lost four consecutive games and 10 of its last 11. The Vikings fell 72-66 at El Camino last Friday despite a career-high 27 points from guard Lawrence Brown. Brown’s scoring has been volatile, following that outburst with a 3-point game in a loss to Harbor on Jan. 21.

The Cougars’ success has been built on consistency, particularly from Conde and support from players like Hosea Steele, Jr., who posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against Harbor. Long Beach has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 86.5 points during its four-game skid.

Despite the records, Interstat’s game simulator projects a dead-even 100-100 final score, suggesting potential for a high-paced offensive clash. The Vikings will need Brown to replicate his El Camino scoring and find secondary options to challenge the Cougars’ momentum.

This game is the first of a regular-season home-and-home series, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 18 at Los Angeles Southwest.