The Crimson Cliffs Mustangs will take on the Desert Hills Thunder at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Crimson Cliffs' favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.
Crimson Cliffs is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Riverton just ended the team's three-game winning streak last Saturday. They received a blow as they fell 79-61 to the Silverwolves.
Despite their defeat, Crimson Cliffs saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Mckay Lindquist, who went 7 of 11 on his way to 16 points, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Trevor Taylor, who posted four points along with eight assists and eight boards.
Meanwhile, Desert Hills hadn't done well against Snow Canyon recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Desert Hills took down Snow Canyon 57-40. Given the Thunder's advantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked 35th, while the Warriors are ranked 97th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Crimson Cliffs better keep an eye on Mason Rasmussen. He was instrumental in Desert Hills' win, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 12 boards. The dominant performance gave Rasmussen a new career-high in rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Chase, who had 12 points.
Desert Hills smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive contests.
Desert Hills' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.5 points per game. As for Crimson Cliffs, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Crimson Cliffs has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Desert Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Crimson Cliffs came up short against Desert Hills in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, falling 72-61. Thankfully for Crimson Cliffs, Eli Allred (who went 8 of 19 on his way to 28 points and five rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
