Preview: Grand Junction Central Warriors vs. Colorado Academy Mustangs
Grand Junction Central has played every game this season on their home court, but they'll have to hit the road on Thursday. They will face off against the Colorado Academy Mustangs at 8:15 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Grand Junction Central struggled with offensive rebounds on Saturday (Moffat County had 800% more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Grand Junction Central took a 59-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of Moffat County.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Blake Rooks, who scored 17 points. The contest was his third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ryland Nostrand, who scored 14 points along with 5 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Colorado Academy entered their tilt with D'Evelyn with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Colorado Academy walked away with a 60-49 win over D'Evelyn on Tuesday.
Colorado Academy's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was George Buyers, who scored 19 points along with 3 steals. Simeon Woldeyohannes was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with 7 steals and 5 assists.
Grand Junction Central's win bumped their season record to 2-1 while Moffat County's loss dropped theirs to 2-2.
Thursday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Grand Junction Central have been dynamite from deep this season, having only nailed 36.7% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Colorado Academy struggles in that department as they've drained 45% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
Grand Junction Central couldn't quite finish off Colorado Academy in their previous meeting back in December of 2021 and fell 65-62. Thankfully for Grand Junction Central, Elliott Cravitz (who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points and 2 assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
