Holyoke is 8-2 against the Rams since January of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success  on Thursday. Both teams will face off  at 4:00  p.m.  on February 8th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The timing isn't great for Holyoke: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while the Rams have snatched up 11 consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
 While it was all tied up  17-17 at halftime, Holyoke was not quite the Eagles' equal in the second half  on Saturday. The  matchup between Holyoke and the Eagles wasn't particularly close, with the Dragons falling  51-32. Holyoke was down  41-21 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
 Despite their  loss, Holyoke saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays.  Anessa Colglazier, who  scored six points along with 18  rebounds and three  steals, was perhaps the best of all. Colglazier has been hot recently, having posted eight or more  rebounds the last ten times she's  played. Another player making a difference was  Ellie Kleve, who  scored nine points along with six  rebounds.
 Meanwhile, Merino put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season  on Saturday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Sedgwick County 59-28 at home. Given Merino's advantage  in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings  (they are ranked fifth, while the Cougars are ranked 25th), the result  wasn't entirely unexpected.
 Holyoke has  not been sharp recently as the team's  lost six of their last seven matchups,  which put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season. As for Merino, their victory bumped their record up to 15-0.
 Holyoke took a serious blow against the Rams  when the teams last played  back in February of 2023, falling  65-28. Will Holyoke have more luck at home instead of on the road?  Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.