Basketball Game Preview: Ralston Valley Mustangs vs. Bear Creek Bears

Two dominant guards in Tanner Braketa and Elias Pacheco are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ralston Valley Mustangs will host the Bear Creek Bears at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Ralston Valley's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.

Ralston Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Arvada West, who was ranked 21st at the time (Ralston Valley was ranked first). Ralston Valley had just enough and edged Arvada West out 64-62.

It was another big night for Caiden Braketa, who went 6 of 12 en route to 17 points in addition to six boards and five assists. Zeke Andrews was another key player, dropping a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds.

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

Meanwhile, Bear Creek can bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Saturday. They came out on top against Lakewood by a score of 63-53. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Bears considering their 27-point performance the contest before.

Ralston Valley's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.9 points per game. As for Bear Creek, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-5 and their overall record up to 6-11.

Everything came up roses for Ralston Valley against Bear Creek when the teams last played back in January, as the squad secured a 77-38 win. In that matchup, Ralston Valley amassed a halftime lead of 47-27, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.