Preview: Box Elder Bees vs. Bonneville Lakers
The Box Elder Bees will head out on the road to take on the Bonneville Lakers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Box Elder is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.
On Wednesday, Box Elder came up short against Northridge and fell 55-48. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Box Elder in their matchups with Northridge: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite the defeat, Box Elder got a solid performance out of Elijah Kersey, who scored 23 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. That was a full 47.9% of Box Elder's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Max Isaacson, who scored eight points along with 15 rebounds and five blocks.
Meanwhile, Bonneville posted their closest win since November 28, 2023 on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 57-54 win over Roy. The victory was some much needed relief for Bonneville as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Bonneville to victory, but perhaps none more so than Hayden Ashbridge, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and six rebounds. It was the first time this season that Ashbridge scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Sebahar, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds.
Box Elder dropped their record down to 7-13 with that loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Bonneville, their win ended a nine-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 7-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Box Elder have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bonneville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Box Elder didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Bonneville when the teams last played back in January, but they still walked away with a 48-43 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Box Elder since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
