Preview: Rocky Ford Meloneers vs. Lamar Thunder
The Rocky Ford Meloneers will head out on the road to square off against the Lamar Thunder at 9:00 p.m. on Monday. Rocky Ford is no doubt hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses.
Rocky Ford scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They walked away with a 58-47 victory over Swallows Charter Academy. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 17 to 3 on the offensive boards, as Rocky Ford did.
Isaiah Vazquez-Gallegos was nothing short of spectacular: he dropped a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Alex Marchand-Fierro, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought game, but Lamar had to settle for a 51-49 loss against Salida on Saturday. Lamar has not had much luck with Salida recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Lamar saw an underclassman step up: Alex Williams scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Austin Thacker, who scored nine points along with five rebounds.
Rocky Ford's victory ended a 13-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-14. As for Lamar, their loss dropped their record down to 14-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rocky Ford have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lamar struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rocky Ford came up short against Lamar in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 48-35. Can Rocky Ford avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
