Preview: Widefield Gladiators vs. Mesa Ridge Grizzlies
The Widefield Gladiators will head out on the road to square off against the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Widefield came into Monday's contest having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Canon City by a score of 51-44 on Monday.
Michael Davenport had a dynamite game for Widefield, dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Javon Williams-grady, who scored nine points along with five assists and two steals.
Meanwhile, Mesa Ridge waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with ten straight wins but they left with 11. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Coronado 73-35 at home. Mesa Ridge has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 21 points or more this season.
Mesa Ridge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tevin Riehl, who scored 22 points along with six steals and five assists. Riehl has been hot recently, having posted three or more steals the last five times he's played. Bryce Riehl was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with six assists and six rebounds.
Widefield's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-14. As for Mesa Ridge, they pushed their record up to 15-2 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
Widefield took a serious blow against the Grizzlies in their previous meeting back in January, falling 65-35. The match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Widefield was down 28-7.
