Basketball Game Preview: Somerset Academy Losee Lions vs. Valley Vikings

The Somerset Academy Losee Lions will face off against the Valley Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Somerset Academy Losee's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matches.

Somerset Academy Losee is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Legacy, who was ranked 15th at the time (Somerset Academy Losee was ranked 20th). Somerset Academy Losee took a 67-57 hit to the loss column at the hands of Legacy on Wednesday. The loss was just more heartbreak for the Lions who fell 66-64 when the teams previously met back in December of 2023.

Somerset Academy Losee's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Tia Cleveland, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten boards, and Jayla Lewis, who almost dropped a triple-double on 15 points, ten assists, and nine steals. Lewis has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. ZaRyah Snell was another key player, putting up five points along with five boards and four steals.

Even though they lost, Somerset Academy Losee smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Southeast Career Tech on Wednesday, taking the game 36-25. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.

Valley's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29.5 points. As for Somerset Academy Losee, with the loss, they broke their five-game winning streak and moved their record to 9-4.

Everything came up roses for Somerset Academy Losee against Valley when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 62-27 victory. In that game, Somerset Academy Losee amassed a halftime lead of 41-16, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.