The Animas Panthers will take on the Magdalena Steers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Last Saturday, Animas was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 55-54 to Lordsburg.
| 01/18/25 vs Lordsburg | 13 |
| 12/13/24 vs Cloudcroft | 8 |
| 01/10/25 @ Alamo Navajo | 6 |
| 12/12/24 vs Carrizozo | 6 |
| 12/18/24 vs Cobre | 5 |
Animas' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Camila Nevarez, who posted 13 points in addition to five rebounds and four steals, and Journey Sheehan, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 boards. Those 13 points gave Nevarez a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Laikyn Davenport, who scored 13 points and seven boards.
Even though they lost, Animas was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Magdalena, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They blew past Capitan 55-34 last Tuesday. The Steers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 21 points or more this season.
Animas better keep an eye on Jorianne Mirabal. She was instrumental in Magdalena's win, dropping a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Mirabal has scored at least a third of Magdalena's points. Jema Ganadonegro was another key player, putting up 13 points and five steals.
Magdalena pushed their record up to 13-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29.8 points. As for Animas, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 7-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Animas has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 33.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Magdalena struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Animas might still be hurting after the 51-29 loss they got from Magdalena in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Animas have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
