Basketball Game Preview: Valencia Vikings vs. Canyon Cowboys

The Valencia Vikings will take on the Canyon Cowboys at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

On Tuesday, Valencia took their matchup with ease, bagging a 62-16 victory over West Ranch. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 contests by 25 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Canyon waltzed into their game on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They put the hurt on the Grizzlies with a sharp 65-40 win. Given the Cowboys' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 255th, while the Grizzlies are ranked 647th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Valencia better focus on containing Darby Dunn and Shannen Wilson as the pair were huge in Canyon's win. Dunn went 13 for 30 en route to 34 points in addition to five boards and three steals, while Wilson dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds. Dunn's evening made it five games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Alexandra Sanchez was another key player, putting up six points.

Canyon smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in seven consecutive matches.

Valencia's victory was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 21-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points per game. As for Canyon, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 13-13.

Everything went Valencia's way against Canyon when the teams last played on January 7th, as Valencia made off with a 75-49 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Dunn, who posted 16 points along with seven assists and six boards. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Valencia still be able to contain Dunn? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.