The Creede Miners will venture away from home to face off against the Cotopaxi Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Creede is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Primero on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Creede was dealt a 65-32 defeat at the hands of Primero. The Miners were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 33-8.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Tyler Sliwkowski, who posted four points. The team also got some help courtesy of Charles Heinrich, who earned two points along with five boards, five steals, and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Cotopaxi was able to grind out a solid victory over Sangre de Cristo on Saturday, taking the game 41-34. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Pirates.
Cotopaxi's win came from a few key players Creede will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kenny Teter, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 13 rebounds. He has been hot, having also posted two or more blocks the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Joel Tezak, who put up 12 points and eight rebounds.
Creede has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season. As for Cotopaxi, their record is now 4-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Creede has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.3 boards per game. However, it's not like Cotopaxi struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Creede ended up a good deal behind Cotopaxi in their previous matchup back in February of 2022, losing 60-43. Can Creede avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
