The Grand Valley Cardinals will challenge the North Fork Miners at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Grand Valley came into their game last Saturday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Cedaredge, falling 52-26. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 253rd, while the Bruins are ranked 62nd).
Taylor Pittman
| 02/08/25 @ Cedaredge | 12 |
| 02/01/25 vs Meeker | 7 |
| 01/31/25 vs Gunnison | 7 |
| 01/28/25 vs Rifle | 9 |
| 01/25/25 @ Olathe | 3 |
| + 14 more games |
Grand Valley's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Taylor Pittman, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine boards, and Camden Stevens, who posted ten points. That's the most points Pittman has posted since back in March of 2024. Leah Stark also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.
Meanwhile, North Fork humbled Aspen with a 58-21 victory. The victory continues a trend for the Miners in their matchups with the Skiers: they've now won eight in a row.
North Fork found their leader in freshman Alyssa Dawes, who went 6-for-13 en route to 17 points and five rebounds. Those 17 points set a new season-high mark for Dawes. Another player making a difference was Meri Hollembeak, who earned eight points and seven assists.
North Fork smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive contests.
Grand Valley's loss dropped their record down to 5-12. As for North Fork, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Grand Valley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.2 boards per game. However, it's not like North Fork struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Grand Valley came up short against North Fork in their previous matchup back in January, falling 45-41. Will Grand Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
