Preview: Rampart Rams vs. Vista Ridge Wolves
Rampart has been on the road for three straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Vista Ridge Wolves at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Even though Rampart has not done well against the Trojans recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Rampart snuck past the Trojans with a 56-52 victory. The win was just what Rampart needed coming off of a 75-29 loss in their prior matchup.
Avery Pe?a was a one-man wrecking crew for Rampart as she dropped a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Pe?a has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Emily Huxtable, who scored 14 points along with seven assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Vista Ridge had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Liberty by a score of 67-60 on Tuesday. The win was just what Vista Ridge needed coming off of a 70-36 defeat in their prior match.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Vista Ridge to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jasmine Byers, who scored 12 points along with six steals and five assists. Byers has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Brooklyn Kaiser was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with five assists and two steals.
Rampart has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 10-9 record this season. As for Vista Ridge, their victory bumped their record up to 11-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Rampart have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Vista Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rampart beat the Wolves 66-58 when the teams last played two weeks ago. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Kaiser, who scored 31 points. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Rampart still be able to contain Kaiser? There's only one way to find out.
