Preview: Delta Panthers vs. Montrose Red Hawks
The Delta Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Montrose Red Hawks at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Delta is coming into the match hot, having won their last 13 games.
In what's become a running theme this season, Delta gave their fans yet another huge victory on Friday. They breezed by Steamboat Springs on the road to the tune of 55-16. The match was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 34-9.
Delta's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Breezy Huff led the charge by scoring 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Somers, who scored 12 points.
Even though Montrose has not done well against Fruita Monument recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Montrose managed a 47-42 win over Fruita Monument. The win made it back-to-back wins for Montrose.
Montrose found their leader in underclassman Maggie Legg, who scored 21 points. Legg is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three games straight. Mayce Oberg was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Delta's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.8 points per game. As for Montrose, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Delta have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Montrose struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Delta came up short against Montrose in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 47-39. Can Delta avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
