Citrus vs San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — A titanic clash of California junior college basketball powers is set for Saturday when the San Francisco Rams face the Citrus Owls in the 3C2A State Championship semifinals.
The matchup at 3 p.m. on March 14 features two teams with a combined record of 55-2. San Francisco (29-1), the host, enters with a 61% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system. The Rams are led by guard James Moore, who scored 22 points with six rebounds in Friday’s 78-67 quarterfinal win over San Diego City.
They face a Citrus squad (26-1) that has been dominant in its own right. The Owls, whose only loss came in early January, last played on March 7, defeating Mount San Antonio 91-80. In that game, sophomore guard Amiri Meadows posted 25 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Meadows has been a consistent force for Citrus. In his last three games, he is averaging 19 points and 5.3 assists. He is complemented by forward Rockwell Reynolds, who had a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double against Mount San Antonio.
San Francisco’s path has been defined by overwhelming defense, holding opponents to an average of 68.2 points per game during its current 10-game win streak. Citrus counters with a high-octane offense that has scored 100 or more points six times this season, including a 147-point outburst against Santa Monica in January.
The Rams’ lone defeat was a 72-70 road loss to Chabot on Jan. 16. Citrus’s only blemish was an 88-86 overtime loss at home to Ventura on Jan. 10. Since then, the Owls have won 16 straight.
The winner will advance to the 3C2A state championship game on Sunday, March 15.