Basketball Game Preview: Greeley Central Wildcats vs. Berthoud Spartans

The Greeley Central Wildcats will venture away from home to take on the Berthoud Spartans at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Greeley Central knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Berthoud likes a good challenge.

Last Tuesday, Greeley Central came up short against Thompson Valley and fell 64-55. The Wildcats haven't had much luck with the Eagles recently, as the team's come up short the last three times they've met.

Despite the defeat, Greeley Central had strong showings from Neamiah Carrillo, who went 9 for 16 on his way to 23 points and three steals, and Daniel Martinez, who posted 17 points in addition to eight boards and five steals. Martinez is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last ten games he's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Derek Ayala, who put up six points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Greeley Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in four consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Berthoud was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 60-54 to Mountain View. The Spartans have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Berthoud's loss dropped their record down to 1-6. As for Greeley Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.

Everything came up roses for Greeley Central against Berthoud in their previous meeting back in November of 2021, as the squad secured an 85-35 win. In that game, Greeley Central amassed a halftime lead of 46-21, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.