Two dominant guards in Tevin Riehl and Ethan Berninger are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Mesa Ridge Grizzlies will take on the Dakota Ridge Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Mesa Ridge will be looking to extend their current 19-game winning streak.
Mesa Ridge had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They managed a 65-59 win over Green Mountain on Saturday. Given Mesa Ridge's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 18th, while Green Mountain is ranked 61st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Riehl, who scored 24 points along with three steals. He is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three games straight. Another player making a difference was Bryce Riehl, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds.
Silver Creek typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Dakota Ridge proved too difficult a challenge. They took down the Raptors 75-61. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Dakota Ridge's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Andrew Schneider, who scored 20 points along with two steals. Nathan Esau was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with two steals.
Mesa Ridge's win bumped their record up to 23-2. As for Dakota Ridge, they have been performing well recently as they've won 14 of their last 17 games, which provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Mesa Ridge have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 46.2% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Dakota Ridge struggles in that department as they've made 45.1% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mesa Ridge beat Dakota Ridge 65-55 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Does Mesa Ridge have another victory up their sleeve, or will Dakota Ridge turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
