Basketball Game Preview: Rye Thunderbolts vs. Salida Spartans

Rye is 0-4 against Salida since January of 2017 but things could change on Thursday. The two teams will face off at 2:30 p.m. without much rest having both just played.

On Wednesday, Rye was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 40-35 to La Junta.

Meanwhile, Salida had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Stallions 63-18. The Spartans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Salida is also on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.4 points per game. As for Rye, they now have a losing record at 7-8.

Rye was dealt a bruising 52-24 loss at the hands of Salida in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Rye avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.