Basketball Game Preview: Mesa Ridge Grizzlies vs. Pueblo Central Wildcats

The Mesa Ridge Grizzlies will square off against the Pueblo Central Wildcats on Friday. Mesa Ridge is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 22 games.

Last Friday, Mesa Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Falcon, taking the game 66-53. Given the Grizzlies' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 23rd, while the Falcons are ranked 95th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Isaiah Lucas

Steals

02/21/25 vs Falcon	3
02/20/25 @ Widefield	2
02/17/25 vs Evergreen	3

Mesa Ridge's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Isaiah Lucas, who en route to 20 points and three steals. Lucas is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of J'Marius Jones, who on his way to 11 points in addition to seven assists and seven boards.

Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Pueblo Central rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Demons 73-71. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted since February 15, 2024.

Mesa Ridge pushed their record up to 22-1 with the victory, which was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.7 points over those games. As for Pueblo Central, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 14-10.

Mesa Ridge didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Pueblo Central in their previous matchup back in January, but they still walked away with a 52-48 victory. Will Mesa Ridge repeat their success, or does Pueblo Central have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.