Basketball Game Preview: Grand Junction Tigers vs. Air Academy Kadets

The Grand Junction Tigers will head out to challenge the Air Academy Kadets at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Grand Junction is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 54-43 win over Longmont. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Tigers as it put an end to their seven-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Air Academy put another one in the bag last Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 64-36 win over Lutheran. Given the Kadets' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked eighth, while the Lions are ranked 62nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Air Academy's win came from a few key players Grand Junction will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Lydia Flowers, who shot 54% from the field en route to 17 points. She is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last five games she's played. Tatyonna Brown was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with ten points and nine rebounds.

Air Academy was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lutheran only seven assists.

Air Academy's victory was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 22-0. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.6 points over those games. As for Grand Junction, their win bumped their record up to 9-15.

Grand Junction took a serious blow against Air Academy in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 69-33. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Grand Junction was down 46-15.