The Wendover Wildcats will head out on the road to take on the Manila Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wendover is coming into the game hot, having won their last 12 games.
Wendover stacked a fourth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 80-53 win over Altamont at home. Wendover's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Wendover's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Raul Valle led the charge by scoring 26 points along with six assists and five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Valle has scored all season. Efren Delmuro was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with five assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Manila pushed their score all the way to 56 on Saturday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They lost to Tabiona at home by a decisive 72-56 margin. Manila found out winning isn't easy when you drain six fewer threes than your opponent.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Sim Brady, who scored 13 points along with three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Browning, who scored 17 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Wendover pushed their record up to 12-1 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.2 points per game. As for Manila, their loss dropped their record down to 10-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Wendover have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Manila, though, as they've been averaging only 29.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Wendover didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Manila when the teams last played back in March of 2023, but they still walked away with a 70-65 victory. Will Wendover repeat their success, or does Manila have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
