Preview: Y Yuma vs. Wray Eagles
Two dominant players in Caddis Robinson and Dori Saffer are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Y Yuma and the Wray Eagles will face off at 4:00 p.m. on January 26th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Y is looking to tack on another W to their five-game streak on the road.
Last Saturday, Y came up short against Sidney and fell 46-37. While losing is never fun, Y can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 42nd in Colorado, while Sidney is ranked eighth in Nebraska).
Despite their defeat, Y saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Alina Moran, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Taryn Sheffield, who scored ten points.
Meanwhile, Wray scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Friday. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 72-38 victory over Holyoke. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 42-21.
Wray's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Sydnee Cheek, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and four steals, and Sharon Greek, who scored 11 points along with five assists and two steals. Cheek hasn't dropped below two steals for nine straight games. Another player making a difference was Isabelle Gillham, who scored eight points along with four steals.
Y's defeat dropped their record down to 9-2. As for Wray, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-6.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Y have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Wray, though, as they've been averaging only 30.4 rebounds per game. Given Y's sizeable advantage in that area, Wray will need to find a way to close that gap.
Y won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, slipping by Wray 52-51. The rematch might be a little tougher for Y since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
