Basketball Game Preview: Golden Demons vs. Standley Lake Gators

The Golden Demons will venture away from home to challenge the Standley Lake Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Golden comes in on five and Standley Lake on six.

Last Tuesday, Golden beat Dakota Ridge 50-39.

Kempley Wellman

Rebounds

02/11/25 vs Dakota Ridge	6
01/31/25 vs Conifer	2
01/29/25 @ Littleton	5
01/27/25 vs Columbine	5
01/24/25 vs Evergreen	5
+ 8 more games

Kempley Wellman and Ashlyn Bates were among the main playmakers for Golden as the former posted 11 points and six rebounds and the latter had nine points. That's the most boards Wellman has posted since back in December of 2024.

Meanwhile, Standley Lake hadn't done well against D'Evelyn recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Standley Lake narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past D'Evelyn 45-43.

Standley Lake's win came from a few key players Golden will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Sydney Martin, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 21 rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted 11 or more boards the last four times she's played. Another player making a difference was Macy Palmer, who put up eight points along with nine rebounds and three steals.

Standley Lake smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.

Golden's record now sits at 20-2. As for Standley Lake, they pushed their record up to 19-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Golden has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29 boards per game. However, it's not like Standley Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Golden came up short against Standley Lake when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 54-47. Can Golden avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.