The West Grand Mustangs will challenge the Hayden Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hayden will be up against a hot West Grand squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. West Grand claimed a resounding 58-28 win over Vail Mountain. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 114th, while the Gore Rangers are ranked 298th), the result on Saturday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Taylin Harthun
| 02/08/25 @ Vail Mountain | 17 |
| 01/31/25 @ Soroco | 7 |
| 01/25/25 vs De Beque | 7 |
| 01/24/25 vs North Park | 9 |
| 01/21/25 vs Gilpin County | 9 |
| + 12 more games |
Taylin Harthun was nothing short of spectacular: she dropped a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. That's the most points she has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Martinson, who went 5 for 9 en route to 12 points along with six boards and four steals.
West Grand was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Hayden had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 56-32 margin over the Wildcats.
Hayden's win came from a few key players West Grand will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Sydney Wattles, who scored seven points in addition to seven rebounds and five steals. She has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Taryn Schlim was another key player, dropping a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.
West Grand pushed their record up to 16-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 21.7 points over those games. As for Hayden, their record is now 8-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: West Grand has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Hayden struggles in that department as they've been averaging 40.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
West Grand beat Hayden 52-43 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Does West Grand have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hayden turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
