The Discovery Canyon Thunder will take on the Mountain View Mountain Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Discovery Canyon will bounce into Friday's match after beating Lewis-Palmer, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Discovery Canyon enjoyed a cozy 54-37 victory over Lewis-Palmer last Wednesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Thunder as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Noah Eckels was his usual excellent self, going 9-for-15 to rack up 20 points and seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Aiden Hayler, who posted nine points in addition to five assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Mountain View walked away with it. They came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 67-54 on Tuesday. Winning may never get old, but the Mountain Lions sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Discovery Canyon better focus on containing Cole Tonniges and Dylan Garland as the pair were huge in Mountain View's win. Tonniges went 8-for-9 en route to 24 points along with eight boards and four steals, while Garland went 8-for-14 on his way to 20 points and three steals. What's more, Tonniges also posted an 80% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in February of 2024. Jalen Sanchez was another key player, putting up five points.
Mountain View smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive contests.
Discovery Canyon's victory bumped their record up to 16-7. As for Mountain View, their win bumped their record up to 15-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Discovery Canyon has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Mountain View struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Discovery Canyon won a game that couldn't have been any closer when the teams last played back in February of 2019, slipping by Mountain View 64-63. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Mountain View's Shane Shadowen, who went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc to rack up 27 points in addition to five assists and four steals. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Discovery Canyon to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
