Basketball Game Preview: Raton Tigers vs. Santa Rosa Lions

Raton has won three straight games at home, while Santa Rosa has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as the Tigers take on the Lions at 5:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Thursday, Raton needed a bit of extra time to put away Tucumcari. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rattlers, sneaking past 55-53.

Chase Walton

Blocked Shots

02/20/25 vs Tucumcari	6
02/17/25 @ Trinidad	10
02/15/25 @ Clayton	4
02/13/25 @ Pecos	4
02/08/25 vs Estancia	5
+ 7 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Raton to victory, but perhaps none more so than Chase Walton, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Walton has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 12 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Tyler Petrini, who posted ten points and six rebounds.

Raton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 23 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Santa Rosa took their match on Thursday with ease, bagging an 89-52 win over Estancia. The Lions have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 23 points or more this season.

Santa Rosa has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 17 of their last 18 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.1 points over those games. Raton's victory bumped their record up to 13-11.

Raton lost to Santa Rosa at home by a decisive 75-59 margin in their previous matchup on February 6th. Will Raton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.