Preview: Amplus Academy Archers vs. Valley Vikings
The Amplus Academy Archers will head out on the road to face off against the Valley Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Amplus Academy comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
Amplus Academy suffered their biggest loss since November 24, 2023 on Tuesday. They were outmatched by Bonanza at home and fell 51-23. Amplus Academy was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 29-9.
Hailey Park was Amplus Academy's leading scorer, having posted seven points.
Talaya Allen held things down on the boards with eight rebounds. She took the lead distributing the ball, coming up with two assists.
In what's become a running theme this season, Valley gave their fans yet another huge victory on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 65-14 win over Eldorado at home. The victory was just what Valley needed coming off of a 68-45 loss in their prior game.
Valley's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jennifer Hughes, who scored six points along with 17 rebounds and four steals, and Anaya Williams, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. Williams hasn't dropped below two steals for 11 straight games. Quinn Steidler was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with three steals.
Amplus Academy's defeat was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which bumped their record down to 0-10. As for Valley, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Amplus Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.7 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 27.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Amplus Academy was dealt a bruising 43-8 loss at the hands of Valley when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Amplus Academy was down 32-2.
