Preview: Lamar Thunder vs. Rocky Ford Meloneers
The Lamar Thunder will be playing at home against the Rocky Ford Meloneers at 9:00 p.m. on Monday. Hopefully Lamar focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 14 on Saturday.
On Saturday, it was a hard-fought contest, but Lamar had to settle for a 51-49 loss against Salida. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Lamar in their matchups with Salida: they've now lost six in a row.
Despite the defeat, Lamar saw an underclassman step up: Alex Williams scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. Another player making a difference was Austin Thacker, who scored nine points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Rocky Ford came into Tuesday's match having lost seven straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 58-47 win over Swallows Charter Academy on Tuesday. Rocky Ford's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Isaiah Vazquez-Gallegos had a dynamite game for Rocky Ford, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Marchand-Fierro was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Lamar's defeat dropped their record down to 14-5. As for Rocky Ford, their victory ended a 13-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-14.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lamar have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Rocky Ford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lamar beat Rocky Ford 48-35 in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Does Lamar have another victory up their sleeve, or will Rocky Ford turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
