Basketball Game Preview: Steamboat Springs Sailors vs. Berthoud Spartans

The Steamboat Springs Sailors will be taking part in a tournament against the Berthoud Spartans at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.

Having struggled with five losses in a row dating back to last season, Steamboat Springs turned things around against Rifle on Saturday. They blew past the Bears 51-27.

Steamboat Springs' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mahlet Vanblarcum, who went 6 of 8 en route to 14 points along with five assists and five boards. Those five assists gave Vanblarcum a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Hailey Bender, who went 7 of 10 on her way to 14 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.

Meanwhile, Berthoud put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Loveland to the tune of 64-26. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Spartans have posted since January 11th.

Steamboat Springs better focus on containing Avery Pfohl and Sofia Sigg as the pair were huge in Berthoud's win. Pfohl went 8 of 15 en route to 21 points and eight rebounds, while Sigg posted 13 points along with eight boards and eight steals. The game was Pfohl's 11th in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sydney Slauson, who had nine points.

Berthoud's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Steamboat Springs, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Steamboat Springs has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Berthoud struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Steamboat Springs was taken down by Berthoud 61-22 in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Pfohl, who went 11 of 16 on her way to 26 points and four steals. Now that Steamboat Springs knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.