Northwood Timberwolves at Irvine Vaqueros — Jan. 16 preview

Irvine -

Northwood travels to Irvine on Friday, Jan. 16, for a Pacific Coast League matchup with tipoff set for 3:30 p.m. PT at the home gym of the Irvine Vaqueros. Fans can follow live updates at the game’s SBLive page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/basketball/games/5495949-northwood-vs-irvine

• Matchup: Northwood Timberwolves at Irvine Vaqueros

• Date/time: Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 — 3:30 p.m. PT

• Game page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/basketball/games/5495949-northwood-vs-irvine

• Northwood page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/basketball/teams/156637-northwood-timberwolves-jv

• Irvine page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/basketball/teams/156632-irvine-vaqueros-jv

Why this game matters

This is a key mid-January league test as both programs try to build momentum toward the stretch run. Northwood will look to even the season series after last years meeting, while Irvine aims to protect its home floor.

Last meeting

The teams met Jan. 17, 2025, at Northwood HS, a tightly contested affair that ended with Irvine edging Northwood 56-54. That two-point thriller is likely to linger in both teams minds heading into Friday.

Streaming and tickets

• Irvine NFHS Network page (team stream/info): https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/irvine-high-school-irvine-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

• Northwood NFHS Network page (team stream/info): https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/northwood-high-school-irvine-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

If a direct game stream or ticket link is posted, it will appear on the SBLive game page above. Check the game page before heading to the gym.

Fan note and call to action

Follow both teams on SBLive to get real-time updates and to grow each squads fan count: following helps our coverage and drives engagement. Make your picks on the game page for fun — picks are fan engagement only and are not tied to any win-chance projections. Those numbers can change, so follow the teams and make your picks for the squad you want to see win.

Preview by SBLive Sports — your source for high school basketball coverage. Follow the action at the SBLive game page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/basketball/games/5495949-northwood-vs-irvine