Basketball Game Preview: Mariposa County Grizzlies vs. Stone Ridge Christian Knights

The Mariposa County Grizzlies will square off against the Stone Ridge Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.

Last Tuesday, Mariposa County really took it to Waterford for the full four quarters, racking up a 65-25 victory. The Grizzlies have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Mariposa County's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mia Hansen led the charge by putting up eight points and six steals. Hansen is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last three games she's played. Denise Corona was another key player, posting eight points along with five boards and five steals.

Mariposa County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in eight consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Stone Ridge Christian had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 19 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They blew past the Reds 57-30.

Stone Ridge Christian's win came from a few key players Mariposa County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bella Ewing, who posted 24 points. That makes it nine consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Stone Ridge Christian's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Tailynn Dungy, who put up 19 points.

Mariposa County pushed their record up to 8-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.0 points per game. As for Stone Ridge Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.

Mariposa County lost to Stone Ridge Christian at home by a decisive 45-27 margin in their previous matchup back in December of 2021. Thankfully for Mariposa County, Caitlyn Cole (who went 10 of 20 on her way to 20 points and six steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.