Arvada West hasn't had much luck against Valor Christian recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Arvada West Wildcats will take on the Valor Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Arvada West sitting on three straight victories and Valor Christian on 11.
Arvada West is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Columbine, who was ranked 21st at the time (Arvada West was ranked 17th). Arvada West walked away with a 41-33 win over Columbine on Tuesday.
Arvada West's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Saylor Swanson led the charge by going 7 of 17 en route to 15 points in addition to six boards and three steals. Another player making a difference was Sara Walker, who posted two points along with seven steals and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Valor Christian really took it to Chatfield for the full four quarters, racking up an 85-39 victory. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Valor Christian's win came from a few key players Arvada West will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Peyton Jones, who went 10 for 18 on her way to 26 points in addition to six boards and three steals. Her evening made it eight games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Quinn VanSickle was another key player, dropping a double-double on 20 points and ten assists.
Valor Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Valor Christian's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.8 points per game. As for Arvada West, their victory bumped their record up to 15-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Arvada West has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 31.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Valor Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Arvada West took a serious blow against Valor Christian when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 73-44. Can Arvada West avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
