Basketball Game Preview: Smith Valley Bulldogs vs. Virginia City Muckers

The Smith Valley Bulldogs are taking a road trip to square off against the Virginia City Muckers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Smith Valley is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Pyramid Lake just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They were dealt a 69-9 loss at the hands of the Lakers. The game marked the Bulldogs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Virginia City waltzed into their match on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They enjoyed a cozy 53-37 victory over Non Varsity Opponent.

Smith Valley better keep an eye on Matley Kelley. She was instrumental in Virginia City's win, going 5 of 8 en route to 12 points along with eight boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaiya Krum, who went 6 of 13 on her way to 14 points in addition to five boards and three steals.

Virginia City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.

Virginia City pushed their record up to 12-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 21.0 points per game. As for Smith Valley, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 8-5.

Smith Valley beat Virginia City 46-39 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Does Smith Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Virginia City turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.