Preview: Central Valley Hawks vs. Buhach Colony Thunder
Central Valley and the Thunder are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2020, but not for long. The Central Valley Hawks will head out on the road to challenge the Buhach Colony Thunder at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Central Valley is no doubt hoping to put an end to a 21-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Friday, Central Valley was beaten by the Bears 77-36. While losing is never fun, Central Valley can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 1059th, while the Bears are ranked 497th).
Despite the loss, Central Valley had strong showings from Bryan Rodriguez, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Emmanuel Carranza, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Buhach Colony's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their tenth straight defeat. They were the victim of a tough 66-44 loss at the hands of El Capitan. Buhach Colony has not had much luck with the Gauchos recently, as the team's come up short the last five times they've met.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Elijah Garza, who scored nine points along with five steals. Another player making a difference was Carter Chapman, who scored 12 points.
Central Valley has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-19 record this season. As for Buhach Colony, their loss dropped their record down to 8-16.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Central Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Buhach Colony struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Central Valley was able to grind out a solid win over the Thunder in their previous meeting back in January, winning 73-60. The rematch might be a little tougher for Central Valley since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
