Basketball Game Preview: Caldera vs. Bend Lava Bears

Caldera and Bend are an even 3-3 against one another since January of 2023, but not for long. Caldera will head out on the road to challenge the Bend Lava Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Caldera knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past six matchups -- so hopefully Bend likes a good challenge.

Caldera will head out to face Bend after giving up their first home loss of the season on Friday. Caldera was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 62-61 to Redmond.

Meanwhile, Bend was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They fell 81-73 to Ridgeview. That's two games in a row now that the Lava Bears have lost by exactly eight points.

Caldera will need to focus on slowing down Cash Hattenhauer, one of several Bend players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 24 points. The contest was Hattenhauer's sixth in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Spencer Dildine, who earned nine points in addition to seven boards and six assists.

Caldera's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 13-5. As for Bend, they now have a losing record at 8-9.

Everything went Caldera's way against Bend when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as Caldera made off with a 77-52 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Caldera since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.