The Las Animas Trojans will venture away from home to take on the Ellicott Thunderhawks at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Las Animas' defense has only allowed 26.2 points per game this season, so Ellicott's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Las Animas took a loss when they played away from home back in December of 2024, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed back in December of 2024. They took down South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] 37-19.
Las Animas found their leader in sophomore Jadann Eck, who went 6 for 10 on her way to 13 points and three steals. Emma Netherton was another key player, putting up eight points and six boards.
Meanwhile, Ellicott entered their tilt with The Vanguard School on Wednesday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. In a tight contest that could have gone either way, they made off with a 55-54 win over the Coursers. The Thunderhawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Las Animas better keep an eye on Kassiah Ducworth. She was instrumental in Ellicott's win, dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten boards. Ducworth is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last 14 games she's played dating back to last season. Micheyla Stewart was another key player, going 7 of 15 on her way to 17 points.
Ellicott smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.
Las Animas pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 20.8 points per game. As for Ellicott, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Las Animas has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ellicott struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
