Preview: ThunderRidge Grizzlies vs. Eaglecrest Raptors
The ThunderRidge Grizzlies will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the Eaglecrest Raptors at 5:45 p.m. on March 8th. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only ThunderRidge walked away with it. They skirted past the Jaguars 62-60. The score was all tied up 24-24 at the break, but ThunderRidge was the better team in the second half.
ThunderRidge had a senior duo take command as Andrew Crawford almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine assists and Tommy Wight scored 20 points along with five rebounds. Drew Paine was another key contributor, scoring six points along with two steals and two blocks.
Meanwhile, Eaglecrest faced Fruita Monument in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Eaglecrest came out on top against Fruita Monument by a score of 61-53 on Thursday. Winning may never get old, but Eaglecrest sure is getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Garrett Barger was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last seven times he's played. Another player making a difference was Lucas Kalimba, who scored eight points.
ThunderRidge's victory bumped their record up to 21-5. As for Eaglecrest, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 20-6 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: ThunderRidge have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Eaglecrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
ThunderRidge lost to Eaglecrest on the road by a decisive 75-56 margin in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Can ThunderRidge avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
