Basketball Game Preview: West Grand Mustangs vs. Las Animas Trojans

The West Grand Mustangs will challenge the Las Animas Trojans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Las Animas took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on West Grand, who comes in off a win.

Las Animas will be up against a hot West Grand team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. West Grand breezed past Lake County to the tune of 53-15 last Wednesday. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while the Panthers are ranked 313th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Makaila Gifford

Steals

02/26/25 vs Lake County	8
02/25/25 @ North Park	10
02/22/25 vs Hayden	8
02/19/25 vs Rangely	6
02/14/25 @ Hayden	7
+ 2 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead West Grand to victory, but perhaps none more so than Makaila Gifford, who posted 16 points along with eight steals and six boards. Gifford has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Taylin Harthun was another key player, dropping a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds.

West Grand smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 29 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Las Animas came up short against Hoehne on Saturday, falling 48-24.

Despite the defeat, Las Animas saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Jadann Eck scored eight points and six boards.

West Grand's win bumped their record up to 20-3. As for Las Animas, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-11 record this season.