Basketball Game Preview: Pinon Eagles vs. Round Valley Elks

Pinon is 0-10 against Round Valley since February of 2019 but things could change on Saturday. The Pinon Eagles will be playing at home against the Round Valley Elks at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Pinon is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Northland Prep Academy 63-29 on Tuesday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Eagles as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Round Valley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They walked away with a 38-28 win over Horizon Honors on Thursday.

Round Valley found their leader in sophomore Addison Poston, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 boards. With that strong performance, Poston is now averaging an impressive 8.2 rebounds per game. Kelci Walker was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 13 rebounds.

Round Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 16 consecutive contests.

Round Valley's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points per game. As for Pinon, their win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 6-9.

Pinon came up short against Round Valley in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 46-35. Can Pinon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.