The Primero Bulldogs just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Sierra Grande Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Primero is coming into the game hot, having won their last 17 games.
Primero is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Centennial: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Primero blew Centennial out of the water with an 83-33 final score. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 23 points or more this season.
Mat Pachorek
| 02/20/25 vs Centennial | 26 |
| 02/15/25 @ Manzanola | 15 |
| 02/13/25 vs Aguilar | 26 |
Primero's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mat Pachorek, who dropped a double-double with 26 points and 21 boards. The game was Pachorek's third in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Brett Kendall, who went 9-for-17 to rack up 23 points along with seven steals and five assists.
Primero was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Sierra Grande was able to grind out a solid victory over Center on Saturday, taking the game 70-61. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Sierra Grande's win came from a few key players Primero will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rolando Najera, who went 8-for-14 en route to 22 points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Aron Ojeda, who went 9-for-17 on his way to 22 points along with eight assists and six boards.
Primero pushed their record up to 20-1 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to assists: they averaged an imposing 11.25 assists in those games compared to only 4.9 in the others. As for Sierra Grande, their win bumped their record up to 16-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Primero has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sierra Grande struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Primero came up short against Sierra Grande in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 61-50. Will Primero 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.
