Basketball Game Preview: Florence Gophers vs. Valley Christian Trojans

Florence is 0-7 against Valley Christian since December of 2018 but things could change on Thursday. The Florence Gophers will challenge the Valley Christian Trojans at 7:00 p.m. Florence is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 66.3 points per game this season.

Last Friday, Florence was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 48-44 to Coolidge. The game marked the Gophers' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Logan Stenson, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten boards. Another player making a difference was Adrian Taufaasau, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds.

Even though they lost, Florence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Valley Christian entered their tilt with Rancho Solano Prep on Monday with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. They breezed by the Mustangs to the tune of 76-43. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 16th, while the Mustangs are ranked 70th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Valley Christian pushed their record up to 16-3 with the win, which was their 20th straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 79.9 points per game. As for Florence, their defeat ended a ten-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 18-1.

Florence was dealt a bruising 96-59 loss at the hands of Valley Christian in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. That match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Florence was down 58-33.