The Nucla Mustangs just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Caprock Academy Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Nucla has four straight wins, Caprock Academy has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
On Thursday, Nucla earned a 55-44 victory over Vail Christian.
Holten McCluer
| 12/11/25 vs Vail Christian | 9 |
| 12/06/25 @ Sangre de Cristo | 8 |
| 01/30/25 vs Mancos | 8 |
| 12/21/24 @ Dove Creek | 7 |
| 12/05/25 vs Center | 6 |
Holten McCluer continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a double-double with 26 points and nine rebounds. Those nine boards gave him a new career-high. Austin Garvey was another key player, shooting 78% from the field on his way to 14 points.
Nucla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in seven consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Caprock Academy was just a bucket shy of victory on Wednesday and fell 58-57 to Olathe.
Nucla will need to focus on slowing down Tristin Bird, one of several Caprock Academy players who made an impact when they last played. He went 5-for-10 en route to 20 points in addition to seven rebounds and five assists. Another player making a difference was Justin Hardies, who shot 67% from the field to rack up 17 points and three steals.
Nucla's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Caprock Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Nucla has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Caprock Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Nucla beat Caprock Academy 57-47 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
