Preview: Cherokee Trail Cougars vs. Arapahoe Warriors
Cherokee Trail is 0-10 against Arapahoe since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Cherokee Trail Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Arapahoe Warriors at 7:00 p.m. Cherokee Trail is looking to tack on another W to their seven-game streak on the road.
Last Wednesday, Cherokee Trail earned a 54-44 win over Eaglecrest. Given Cherokee Trail's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked first, while Eaglecrest is ranked 40th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cherokee Trail's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Aaliyah Broadus, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds. Talia Strode was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, Arapahoe was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 55-49 to Grandview. Arapahoe has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Arapahoe had strong showings from Liz Gentry, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Gianna Smith, who scored 16 points along with three steals. That was a full 36.7% of Arapahoe's points, marking the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Cherokee Trail's victory bumped their record up to 14-2. As for Arapahoe, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-6.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Cherokee Trail have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Arapahoe struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Cherokee Trail came up short against Arapahoe in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 61-52. Can Cherokee Trail avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
