Basketball Game Preview: Sierra Stallions vs. Vista Ridge Wolves

The Sierra Stallions will challenge the Vista Ridge Wolves at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Sierra will be strutting in after a win while Vista Ridge will be coming in after a defeat.

Last Tuesday, Sierra strolled past Pueblo Centennial with points to spare, taking the game 51-34. That's two games straight that the Stallions have won by exactly 17 points.

Marisa Reyes

Points

02/18/25 @ Pueblo Centennial	17
02/17/25 vs Elizabeth	11
02/14/25 @ The Classical Academy	6
02/11/25 @ Mitchell	13
02/08/25 vs Widefield	2
+ 19 more games

Sierra's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Marisa Reyes, who posted 17 points and four steals. That's the most points Reyes has posted since back in February of 2024. Aspyn McClain was another key player, putting up six points along with six assists and five rebounds.

Sierra smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Vista Ridge has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a 45-38 hit to the loss column at the hands of Doherty on Tuesday.

Sierra will need to focus on slowing down Jasmine Byers, one of several Vista Ridge players who made an impact when they last played. She earned seven points in addition to eight boards and three steals. Byers has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sole' Alexander, who put up eight points and eight rebounds.

Vista Ridge's loss dropped their record down to 15-6. As for Sierra, they have been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sierra has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Vista Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.