Preview: Santa Ana Dons at Cypress Chargers

CYPRESS, Calif. (Interstat) — A key California community college men’s basketball matchup with playoff implications is set for Friday when the Santa Ana Dons visit the Cypress Chargers.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cypress College. Admission is $5, cash only.

The Dons (18-7) enter with the stronger overall record but are mired in a three-game losing streak, including a 77-61 home loss to Riverside on Feb. 12. The Chargers (14-11) have won four of their last five, most recently an 85-67 victory over Saddleback on Feb. 12.

This game is a quick rematch of a Jan. 28 meeting, which Cypress won 77-69 on Santa Ana’s floor. In that game, Chargers’ forward Michael Wright posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Dons’ guard Christien Jimenez dished out nine assists.

Both players remain focal points. Jimenez, Santa Ana’s player to watch, is coming off a 13-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist performance in the loss to Riverside. He averages 7.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game over his last seven contests.

For Cypress, Wright has been consistently productive. He averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds over that same seven-game stretch and is fresh from a 13-point, 5-rebound outing against Saddleback where he also blocked two shots.

The Dons will look to break their skid and avenge the earlier loss, relying on Jimenez’s playmaking and secondary scoring from Serigne Saliou Mbaye and Joshua Garland, who combined for 29 points in the last game. The Chargers aim to continue their recent surge behind Wright’s interior presence and the backcourt scoring of Zack Moritz, who had 19 points in their last win.

The result will impact positioning within the competitive conference landscape as the regular season enters its final weeks.