Simla and Peyton are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2018, but not for long. The Simla Cubs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Peyton Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Simla knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven contests -- so hopefully Peyton likes a good challenge.
On Saturday, Simla needed a bit of extra time to put away Yuma. They came out on top against the Outlaws by a score of 72-65.
| 01/11/25 vs Yuma | 12 |
| 01/10/25 @ Byers | 8 |
| 12/17/24 vs Monument Academy | 3 |
| 12/14/24 vs Strasburg | 8 |
| 12/13/24 vs Crowley County | 8 |
Simla found their leader in sophomore Tatum Kocerha, who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 12 boards. With that strong performance, Kocerha is now averaging an impressive 8.4 rebounds per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Caston Cox, who posted 21 points.
Simla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 34 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Peyton meant business on Friday, getting buckets from all over the court against a Danes squad that has allowed just 25 points per contest. Peyton enjoyed a cozy 59-45 win over Fountain Valley.
Simla better keep an eye on Michael Perry. He was instrumental in Peyton's win, going 7 of 15 on his way to 18 points and eight assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Trent Gregg, who went 7 of 9 on his way to 14 points.
Peyton has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a massive bump to their 4-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.0 points per game. As for Simla, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Simla has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Peyton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Simla strolled past Peyton in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 by a score of 67-53. Will Simla repeat their success, or does Peyton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
