The Coolidge Bears will head out to challenge the Valley Christian Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Coolidge is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Pusch Ridge Christian Academy just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They took a 63-58 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lions.
Preston Dees
| 01/25/25 vs Pusch Ridge Christian Academy | 19 |
| 01/23/25 vs Seton Catholic | 18 |
| 01/20/25 vs The Gregory School | 18 |
| 01/17/25 @ Florence | 17 |
Despite the defeat, Coolidge got top-tier performance from Preston Dees, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Dees' evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jensen Carter, who posted eight points.
Even though they lost, Coolidge smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian waltzed into their game on Saturday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. They put the hurt on the Knights with a sharp 76-52 win. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 15th, while the Knights are ranked 68th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Valley Christian pushed their record up to 18-3 with the victory, which was their 21st straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 79.7 points per game. As for Coolidge, their loss dropped their record down to 19-6.
Coolidge took a serious blow against Valley Christian in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 84-36. Can Coolidge avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
