Santa Clara at Royal — Girls basketball nonleague preview (Jan. 5, 7 p.m. PT)

Spielman Gymnasium/Dave Marshall Court -

The Santa Clara Saints travel to Royal to take on the Royal Highlanders on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT at Royal High School in Simi Valley. Follow the game on SBLive: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/games/5866893-santa-clara-vs-royal

Game links

• Game page: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/games/5866893-santa-clara-vs-royal

• Santa Clara Saints: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/140891-santa-clara-saints

• Royal Highlanders: https://scorebooklive.com/california/girls-basketball/teams/160759-royal-highlanders

What to watch

Royal and Santa Clara last met on Dec. 4, 2023, when the Highlanders posted a 46-33 victory. Royal built a lead with a strong fourth quarter and held Santa Clara to just two points in the third quarter en route to the win (linescores: Royal 13-8-12-13, Santa Clara 10-9-2-12). That recent history gives Royal a blueprint to defend and control tempo, while Santa Clara will be looking for adjustments and a stronger third-quarter showing.

Weather and schedule notes

• Location: Royal High School — Simi Valley, Calif. (local kickoff: 7 p.m. PT)

• Weather: Simi Valley, CA (check local forecast closer to tipoff)

• Next games: Royal plays Camarillo on Jan. 6 (7 p.m. PT); Santa Clara is at Thacher on Jan. 8 (5:30 p.m. PT).

Streaming and tickets

Both schools list NFHS Network pages where a live stream may be available; availability and access (subscription) can vary by school:

• Royal NFHS Network: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/royal-high-school-simi-valley-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

• Santa Clara NFHS Network: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/santa-clara-high-school-oxnard-oxnard-ca/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

No ticketing links were provided; check the host school for gate information.

Get involved

Royal currently has 7 SBLive fans and Santa Clara has 2 — these numbers can change. If you want to support a team, follow their SBLive pages and make your pick on the game page. Picks are for fan engagement and separate from any win projections; both fans and pick totals may shift leading up to tipoff.

Stay with SBLive for game updates, live stats and postgame coverage.