The Caprock Academy Eagles will look to take advantage of their home court for the first time this season as they take on the Nucla Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Caprock Academy has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Nucla will arrive with four straight wins.
On Wednesday, Caprock Academy was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 58-57 to Olathe.
Despite their loss, Caprock Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tristin Bird, who went 5-for-10 on his way to 20 points along with seven boards and five assists, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Justin Hardies, who shot 67% from the field to rack up 17 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Nucla was able to grind out a solid victory over Vail Christian on Thursday, taking the game 55-44.
Caprock Academy better keep an eye on Holten McCluer. He was instrumental in Nucla's win, almost dropping a double-double with 26 points and nine rebounds. With that strong performance, McCluer is now averaging an impressive 15.5 points per game. Austin Garvey was another key player, going 7-for-9 en route to 14 points.
Nucla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Caprock Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 1-3. As for Nucla, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Caprock Academy has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 22.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Nucla struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Caprock Academy came up short against Nucla when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 57-47. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Mustangs' Brycen Rummel, who dropped a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. Now that the Eagles know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
