Meeker is on an 11-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while North Fork is on a ten-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Cowboys just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Miners at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
If Meeker beats North Fork with 54 points on Saturday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Cowboys claimed a resounding 54-20 victory over Olathe. With the Cowboys ahead 39-8 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Rylee Sullivan produced another solid effort going 8-for-16 on her way to 21 points. That makes it three consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Meeker's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Addie Knowles, who posted seven points and three steals.
Meeker was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They are 15-2 when they've passed the ball that well.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely North Fork's strategy against Aspen last Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Miners blew the Skiers out of the water with a 56-16 final score. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Miners' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 82nd, while the Skiers are ranked 311th).
Meeker better focus on containing Meri Hollembeak and Alyssa Lovelace as the pair were huge in North Fork's win. Hollembeak shot 63% from the field to rack up 12 points along with six steals and five assists, while Lovelace scored nine points in addition to eight rebounds and eight steals. Hollembeak is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last five games she's played. Arlie Moore was another key player, putting up seven points and five steals.
Meeker's win bumped their record up to 16-4. As for North Fork, their victory bumped their record up to 16-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Meeker has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.6 boards per game. However, it's not like North Fork struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Meeker couldn't quite finish off North Fork when the teams last played back in January and fell 45-42. Will the Cowboys have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
