Basketball Preview: Holyoke Dragons vs. Merino Rams
Holyoke is 8-2 against the Rams since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. Both teams will face off at 4:00 p.m. on February 8th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The timing isn't great for Holyoke: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while the Rams have snatched up 11 consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
While it was all tied up 17-17 at halftime, Holyoke was not quite the Eagles' equal in the second half on Saturday. The matchup between Holyoke and the Eagles wasn't particularly close, with the Dragons falling 51-32. Holyoke was down 41-21 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Despite their loss, Holyoke saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Anessa Colglazier, who scored six points along with 18 rebounds and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Colglazier has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last ten times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ellie Kleve, who scored nine points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Merino put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Saturday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Sedgwick County 59-28 at home. Given Merino's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Cougars are ranked 25th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Holyoke has not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season. As for Merino, their victory bumped their record up to 15-0.
Holyoke took a serious blow against the Rams when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 65-28. Will Holyoke have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
