Preview: Rankin Red Devils vs. Buena Vista Longhorns
Rankin is 9-1 against Buena Vista since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Rankin Red Devils on the road again and play against the Buena Vista Longhorns at 7:30 p.m. on January 23rd.
Last Tuesday, Rankin was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 56-50 to Comstock.
Meanwhile, Buena Vista waltzed into their game on Tuesday with five straight wins but they left with six. They took down Iraan 54-35.
Buena Vista's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Sebastian Porras, who scored 22 points along with five steals. Porras hasn't dropped below two steals for 17 straight games. Another player making a difference was Caden Valdez, who scored 17 points along with nine rebounds and five steals.
Rankin has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season. As for Buena Vista, they pushed their record up to 18-5 with that victory, which was their ninth straight on the road.
Rankin suffered a grim 65-43 defeat to Buena Vista when the teams last played back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Valdez, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and ten rebounds. Now that Rankin knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
