Preview: Fleming Wildcats vs. Merino Rams
The Fleming Wildcats will head out on the road to challenge the Merino Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Fleming stacked a third blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Peetz 70-32 at home. Fleming's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Fleming to victory, but perhaps none more so than Madi Serrato, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Serrato is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashley Bornhoft, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Merino put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past Stratton with points to spare, taking the game 59-42. Given Merino's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while Stratton is ranked 26th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Fleming pushed their record up to 7-2 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points per game. As for Merino, their victory bumped their record up to 10-0.
Fleming came up short against Merino in their previous matchup back in January of 2023, falling 53-40. Can Fleming avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
