Ventura at Rio Mesa — Girls basketball preview (Jan. 8, 2026)

SBLive Report,

Rio Mesa -

The Ventura Cougars travel to Oxnard to take on the Rio Mesa Spartans on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Tip is set for 4 p.m. PST at Rio Mesa; follow the matchup on SBLive here: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/games/5888499-ventura-vs-rio-mesa

Quick facts

Date/time: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 — 4 p.m. PST

Location: Rio Mesa (home team: Rio Mesa Spartans)

Home: Rio Mesa Spartans — https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/487912-rio-mesa-spartans-jv

Away: Ventura Cougars — https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/161591-ventura-cougars-jv

What to watch

This is a key midweek league meeting with Rio Mesa hosting Ventura. There’s no recent-meeting data provided, so keep an eye on early-season momentum and how each squad responds on a short week. Both teams have upcoming games Saturday — Rio Mesa hosts Oxnard (Jan. 10, noon) and Ventura heads to Santa Barbara (Jan. 10, 1:30 p.m.) — which could influence rotations and minutes Thursday.

Streaming and tickets

Rio Mesa NFHS Network: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/rio-mesa-high-school-oxnard-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

Ventura NFHS Network: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/ventura-high-school-ventura-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

Check those NFHS links for live-stream availability and any subscription requirements. No ticketing URL was provided; contact the schools or check the Rio Mesa team page for home-gym access details.

Get involved — follow and pick

Support your team: follow the Rio Mesa Spartans or Ventura Cougars on SBLive to get updates and increase each program’s fan count. Currently on SBLive both teams show 0 fans and 0 picks — those numbers can change quickly, so add your follow and make a pick for fun to show support. Picks are for fan engagement only and do not affect any official projections.

Follow Rio Mesa: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/487912-rio-mesa-spartans-jv

Follow Ventura: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/161591-ventura-cougars-jv

Full game page and details: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/games/5888499-ventura-vs-rio-mesa

Stay tuned to SBLive for any lineup updates, streaming changes and live coverage notes as Thursday approaches.