It'll be Battle of the Birds when the Dakota Ridge Eagles take on the Denver South Ravens at 2:30 p.m. on Friday... Dakota Ridge knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Denver South likes a good challenge.
Two weeks ago, Dakota Ridge came up short against Ralston Valley and fell 68-58. The Eagles haven't had much luck with the Mustangs recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.
Despite the loss, Dakota Ridge got top-tier performance from Nathan Esau, who went 7 of 12 on his way to 18 points in addition to six assists and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Alijah Sawyer, who posted nine points.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Denver South's good fortune finally ran out last Saturday. They fell 75-66 to Leuzinger. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Ravens came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 25th in Colorado, while the Olympians are ranked 115th in California).
Dakota Ridge will have to contain Damian Dirden as he made an impact in Denver South's last game. He went 6 of 9 from beyond the arc on his way to 26 points and three steals. With that strong performance, Dirden is now averaging an impressive 16.3 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Shepard, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 17 points and six rebounds.
Denver South's defeat dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Dakota Ridge, their loss dropped their record down to 4-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Dakota Ridge has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 boards per game. However, it's not like Denver South struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Dakota Ridge couldn't quite finish off Denver South when the teams last played back in February and fell 62-59. Will Dakota Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
