The Valley Vikings will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Golden Sierra Grizzlies at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. Valley is looking for their season's first victory.
Valley saw some tournament action on Saturday. They took a 33-18 bruising from Western Sierra Collegiate Academy.
| 12/21/24 vs Western Sierra Collegiate Academy | 7 |
| 12/01/23 vs Bradshaw Christian | 9 |
| 01/22/24 vs Foothill | 7 |
| 01/24/24 @ Natomas | 5 |
| 12/20/24 vs Florin | 5 |
Valley's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of India Williams, who posted two points in addition to nine boards and four steals, and Beverly Gutierrez, who had seven points. That's the most points Gutierrez has posted since back in January.
Meanwhile, the third road contest was the charm for Golden Sierra, as they earned their first road win of the season. They secured a 34-30 W over Foresthill last Thursday.
Valley better keep an eye on Zofia Bradford. She was instrumental in Golden Sierra's win, putting up nine points along with eight rebounds and five steals. Bradford is becoming a predictor of Golden Sierra's success: when she posts at least five steals the team is 2-1 (and 2-3 when she doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Mary Nicole Turner, who posted 12 points and seven rebounds.
Golden Sierra smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.
Golden Sierra is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 4-4 record this season. As for Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 0-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Valley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 boards per game. However, it's not like Golden Sierra struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Valley barely slipped by Golden Sierra in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 45-44. Does Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Golden Sierra turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
