Basketball Game Preview: Malad Dragons vs. Ririe Bulldogs

The Malad Dragons will head out to square off against the Ririe Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Malad has given up an average of 62.1 points per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Malad will bounce into Saturday's contest after beating Grace, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Dragons came out on top against the Grizzlies by a score of 66-56 on Tuesday. While the Dragons didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Malad's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dawson Beutler, who posted 15 points. Carter Carey was another key player, putting up 11 points and seven rebounds.

Malad was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. They posted seven more assists than Grace's also-impressive total of ten.

Meanwhile, Ririe faced West Side in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Bulldogs fell 60-49 to the Pirates.

Malad will have to keep a close watch on Kody Landon and Cooper Brown, a pair of players who had a big impact on Ririe's prior game. Landon went 9-for-16 to rack up 22 points and five boards, while Brown shot 67% from the field en route to 19 points. The game was Landon's third in a row with at least 15 points.

The win made it two in a row for Malad and bumps their season record up to 5-2. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.0 points over those games. As for Ririe, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.

Malad strolled past Ririe when the teams last played back in December of 2024 by a score of 54-37. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Dragons since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.