INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I’m covering the Norco-Corona Centennial girls varsity basketball game tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 27, for The Press-Enterprise, pe.com & @PEcom_preps.

The best part of this assignment is it’s a mid-season battle for first place in the Big VIII League.

THE LOW DOWN:
Norco (14-7 overall, 3-1 Big VIII League) has been good in league, averaging more than 60 points per game, but is coming off a loss to La Habra Sonora, 63-47, at the Norco HS Extravaganza last Saturday. Veteran coach Rick Thompson continues to get the most out of whatever turns up, and sleek sophomore Naomi Kim is averaging 16.2 ppg, stepping up her production considerably from last season. Senior Dalis Jones and Lindsay Kilgore are both adding more than 10 ppg to help fill out the score sheet.

Corona Centennial (13-8 overall, 4-0 Big VIII League) is waltzing its way through the league schedule but is also coming off a loss at the Norco HS Extravaganza, dropping 52-44 to Mission Hills Alemany last Saturday. Junior Daije Harris and Andrenee Timmons are scoring north of 13.5 ppg, while 6-foot-3 sophomore center Jasmine Peete is averaging 8.5 points and 10 rebounds in just 13.5 minutes.

THE STARTING FIVES:
Norco — C Anai Washington (Soph.); F Dalis Jones (Sr.); F Shyla Jones (Jr.); G Lindsay Kilgore (Sr.); G Naomi Yim (Sr.)

Centennial — C Jasmine Peete (Sr., 6-foot-3); G Andrenee Timmons (Jr., 5-9); G Madelyn Hobbs (Sr., 5-8); G Jade Williams (Jr., 5-5); PG Daije Harris (Sr., 5-8)

THE DIFFERENCE:
It’ll be hard to look past Centennial’s Jasmine Peete and the impact she’ll have tonight.

THE FINAL SCORE:
Corona Centennial 56, Norco 53