A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Lions challenge the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Wednesday, Swink didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Holly, but they still walked away with a 39-35 victory. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won four in a row.
Jocelynn James
| 02/05/25 @ Holly | 18 |
| 12/05/23 @ Holly | 16 |
| 01/21/25 vs Swallows Charter Academy | 14 |
| 02/04/25 @ Crowley County | 13 |
| 01/23/25 vs Walsenburg | 13 |
Swink can attribute much of their success to Jocelynn James, who posted 18 points. Those 18 points gave James a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Addie Mills, who had seven points and 14 rebounds.
Meanwhile, McClave waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Grizzlies 73-21. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Grizzlies are ranked 215th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
McClave's win came from a few key players Swink will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Addison Vallejos, who went 7 for 12 on her way to 20 points along with five assists and four steals. She has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 15 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ashlynn Steinbrunn, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine boards.
McClave smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in seven consecutive games.
McClave's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-1. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 22.7 points over those games. As for Swink, their record now sits at 7-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Swink has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like McClave struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Swink was dealt a bruising 62-19 loss at the hands of McClave in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Swink was down 40-6.
