Having just played yesterday, the Sierra Grande Panthers will get right back to it and host the Center Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sierra Grande will be strutting in after a win while Center will be coming in after a defeat.
Sierra Grande will bounce into Saturday's match after beating Sangre de Cristo, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Sierra Grande blew past Sangre de Cristo 44-15 on Friday. The Panthers pushed the score to 34-13 by the end of the third, a deficit the Thunderbirds had little chance of recovering from.
Jaylyn Quezada
| 02/14/25 @ Sangre de Cristo | 10 |
| 01/16/25 @ Lake City Community | 8 |
| 01/25/25 vs Cotopaxi | 6 |
| 01/11/25 @ Antonito | 6 |
| 02/11/25 @ La Veta | 5 |
| + 11 more games |
Sierra Grande got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaylyn Quezada out in front who dropped a double-double with 15 points and ten steals. Sierra Grande is undefeated when Quezada posts five or more steals, but 2-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Eneria Quintana, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 11 steals.
Sierra Grande smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Center played a tough contest on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Sanford, falling 53-20. The Vikings were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-9.
Sierra Grande will have to keep a close watch on Emiliana Valdez and Ximena Miranda, a pair of players who had a big impact on Center's prior game. Valdez posted five points, while Miranda earned two points.
Sierra Grande is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.9 points over those games. As for Center, their loss dropped their record down to 13-6.
Sierra Grande came up short against Center when the teams last played back in February of 2021, falling 54-50. Will Sierra Grande have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
