ThunderRidge is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Fruita Monument is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The ThunderRidge Grizzlies will welcome the Fruita Monument Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. ThunderRidge knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 12 games -- so hopefully Fruita Monument likes a good challenge.
ThunderRidge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took down Vista PEAK Prep 59-43. Given the Grizzlies' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Bison are ranked 66th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Drew Paine
| 02/28/25 vs Vista PEAK Prep | 88% |
| 02/21/25 vs Highlands Ranch | 62% |
| 02/18/25 vs Douglas County | 55% |
| 02/14/25 vs Mountain Vista | 100% |
| 02/12/25 @ Heritage | 58% |
| + 9 more games |
It was another big night for Drew Paine, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 50% in the last 14 games he's played. Aman Binu was another key player, going 6-for-7 on his way to 14 points.
Meanwhile, Fruita Monument blew past Liberty, posting a 73-40 win. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.
ThunderRidge better keep an eye on Jhett Wells. He was instrumental in Fruita Monument's win, shooting 80% from beyond the arc en route to 36 points along with seven boards and five steals. The last time Wells' three-point shooting accuracy was this high was back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Thomason, who went 7-for-14 to rack up 14 points in addition to seven assists and six rebounds.
Fruita Monument was working as a unit and finished the game with 23 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Fruita Monument is on a roll lately: they've won 16 of their last 17 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.6 points over those games. ThunderRidge's victory bumped their record up to 19-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's game: ThunderRidge has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 36.1% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Fruita Monument, though, as they've only made 26.8% of their three-pointers this season. Given ThunderRidge's sizable advantage in that area, Fruita Monument will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for ThunderRidge against Fruita Monument in their previous meeting back in February of 2018, as the team secured a 74-33 win. Will ThunderRidge repeat their success, or does Fruita Monument have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
