Lakewood hasn't had much luck against Ralston Valley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Lakewood Tigers will host the Ralston Valley Mustangs at 7:30 p.m.
Lakewood is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 17th straight game dating back to last season on Saturday. They fell 63-53 to Bear Creek. While the Tigers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Bears 12-7 in the first quarter.
Despite their defeat, Lakewood saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Quentin Wilson, who went 7 for 15 en route to 18 points, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Marcus Bane, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 16 points.
Meanwhile, Ralston Valley put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They really took it to Bear Creek for the full four quarters, racking up a 71-44 victory. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Ralston Valley's win came from a few key players Lakewood will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Frank Psaute, who went 5 for 9 en route to 14 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Tanner Braketa was another key player, dropping a double-double on ten points and 12 assists.
Ralston Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.
Ralston Valley pushed their record up to 17-0 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.6 points per game. As for Lakewood, their loss dropped their record down to 0-16.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lakewood has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 20.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ralston Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lakewood was dealt a bruising 88-24 defeat at the hands of Ralston Valley in their previous matchup two weeks ago. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Lakewood was down 45-15.
