MONTEREY, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging West Valley team looks to continue its push near the top of the conference standings when it visits a Monterey Peninsula squad seeking consistency Friday in a California community college men’s basketball matchup.

The West Valley Vikings (18-6) enter the contest having won four straight games and seven of their last eight. Their most recent victory was a 66-55 home win over East Los Angeles on Monday. The Vikings’ offense has been potent during this stretch, averaging 81.5 points in their last four contests, including a 96-point outburst against Gavilan on Jan. 28.

The Monterey Peninsula Lobos (10-15) have shown recent signs of life, winning three of their last five games. They are coming off a 77-69 home victory over Gavilan on Feb. 6. However, the Lobos have struggled to string together consecutive wins, alternating results in their last six outings.

This game will be the second meeting between the teams this season. On Jan. 21 in Saratoga, West Valley secured a 73-63 win over Monterey Peninsula. In that game, the Vikings leveraged a strong defensive performance to create separation and hand the Lobos a loss.

The Vikings have established themselves as one of the region’s stronger teams, boasting a dominant 9-1 record at home. Their road record is a more modest 5-4, which the Lobos will look to exploit. Monterey Peninsula has played better at home recently, winning two straight in their own gym.

Key for Monterey Peninsula will be finding an answer for West Valley’s balanced scoring attack and containing their transition game. The Lobos, who average just over 64 points per game, will need an efficient offensive night to keep pace with the high-scoring Vikings.

Friday’s contest tips off at 7 p.m. at Monterey Peninsula College. Following this game, West Valley will host Cabrillo on Feb. 18, while Monterey Peninsula travels to face Foothill the same day.