Preview: Los Angeles Valley at Canyons Men’s Basketball

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (Interstat) — The College of the Canyons Cougars will look to complete a regular-season sweep and solidify their winning record when they host the Los Angeles Valley Monarchs in a California community college men’s basketball matchup Wednesday.

The Cougars (13-9) dominated the first meeting on Jan. 17, routing the Monarchs 89-64 on the road. Canyons has gone 3-3 since that victory but is coming off a 118-91 road loss to Citrus on Saturday. In that game, sophomore forward Dwayne Boston Jr. continued his strong season with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Boston Jr. has been a consistent force, averaging 18.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He was particularly effective against Valley last month, scoring 20 points with seven rebounds in just 19 minutes of play.

Los Angeles Valley (6-16) seeks revenge and momentum after a heartbreaking 78-75 home loss to West Los Angeles on Saturday. The Monarchs have lost seven of their last eight games, with their only win in that stretch a 91-84 victory over Santa Monica on Feb. 4.

Guard Will Young is the key catalyst for the Monarchs. He is coming off one of his best performances of the season in the narrow loss to West L.A., logging 36 minutes with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. His playmaking will be crucial for Valley’s chances of an upset on the road.

Canyons holds a significant advantage in the standings and will aim to protect its home court before a key stretch against West Los Angeles and Santa Monica next week. Los Angeles Valley, looking to build on a more competitive recent outing, needs a strong defensive effort to contain Boston Jr. and the Cougars’ offense to reverse January’s lopsided result.

Tip-off is set for Wednesday night at the Cougar Cage.