The Vanguard School Coursers will be taking part in a tournament against the Manitou Springs Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The Vanguard School knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully Manitou Springs likes a good challenge.
The Vanguard School is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Woodland Park 75-11. The Coursers have beaten the Panthers the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Panthers has come to flipping the script.
Jordyn Christensen
| 02/25/25 @ Woodland Park | 28 |
| 02/24/25 @ Manitou Springs | 17 |
| 02/22/25 @ James Irwin | 20 |
The Vanguard School got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jordyn Christensen out in front who posted 28 points in addition to seven rebounds and five steals. Christensen's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Lily Blanchard, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and 15 assists.
The Vanguard School was working as a unit and finished the game with 25 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Manitou Springs played a tough contest on Monday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against The Vanguard School, falling 62-41. The loss continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Coursers: they've now lost five in a row.
The Vanguard School will need to focus on slowing down Nolan Barrett, one of several Manitou Springs players who made an impact when they last played. She went 6-for-13 to rack up 14 points along with seven steals and six boards. Barrett has become a key player for Manitou Springs: the team is 4-1 when she posts at least five steals, but 6-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Lexi Sobral, who had ten points and eight rebounds.
The Vanguard School's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-10. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.3 points over those games. As for Manitou Springs, they now have a losing record of 10-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: The Vanguard School has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Manitou Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
The Vanguard School took their victory against Manitou Springs in their previous matchup on Monday by a conclusive 62-41. Will The Vanguard School repeat their success, or does Manitou Springs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
