Basketball Game Preview: Carlsbad Cavemen/Cavegirls vs. Rio Rancho Rams

The Carlsbad Cavemen/Cavegirls will square off against the Rio Rancho Rams at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

On Monday, Carlsbad was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 51-50 to Highland.

Rio Rancho hadn't beaten Clovis on the road since November 25, 2017 but that history sure didn't bother them on Saturday. The Rams enjoyed a cozy 57-40 win over the Wildcats. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.

Rio Rancho's win came from a few key players Carlsbad will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jordan McNeely, who posted ten points and six boards. Those six rebounds gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Dashon Bynum, who went 6-for-10 en route to 14 points.

Rio Rancho smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 12 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Carlsbad dropped their record down to 0-2 with the loss, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Rio Rancho, their victory bumped their record up to 2-0.

Carlsbad and Rio Rancho were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, but Carlsbad came up empty-handed after a 48-47 defeat. Can the Cavemen/Cavegirls avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.