Carlin is 1-9 against Round Mountain since December of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Carlin Railroaders will be staying on the road to face off against the Round Mountain Knights at 11:00 a.m. on December 15th.
Last Saturday, it was a hard-fought match, but Carlin had to settle for a 33-31 defeat against Mammoth. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Carlin came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 91st in Nevada, while Mammoth is ranked 1021st in California).
Despite their defeat, Carlin saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Mariah Urenda, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Urenda scored a full 38.7% of Carlin's points, the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Caileigh Shilts, who scored eight points along with 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Round Mountain scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They breezed by Virginia City on the road to the tune of 52-24. That looming 52-24 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Round Mountain yet this season.
Round Mountain got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Ava Faga out in front who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 23 rebounds. Those 19 points set a new season-high mark for Faga. Layla Faga was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds.
Carlin's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Round Mountain, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-3.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Carlin have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Round Mountain, though, as they've been averaging only 27.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Carlin came up short against Round Mountain when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 29-19. Can Carlin avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
