The Galena Grizzlies will head out to face off against the McQueen Lancers at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Galena has insisted on making their lastthree contests complete nail-biters, turning in a record of 1-2 during that stretch of close contests.
Last Friday, Galena was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 39-38 to Bishop Manogue. While the Grizzlies didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Miners 8-2 in the first quarter.
Galena's loss came about despite a quality game from Gavin Talonen, who went 6 for 8 on his way to 12 points and eight rebounds. Talonen is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathan Bronander, who posted seven points and five boards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for McQueen, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They enjoyed a cozy 65-49 win over Carson on Friday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Lancers as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
McQueen's win came from a few key players Galena will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Alex Hancock, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. That's the most boards he has posted since back in February of 2024. Abram Carpenter was another key player, going 6 of 8 en route to 13 points and seven rebounds.
McQueen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive contests.
Galena's defeat was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 7-11. As for McQueen, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-9.
Galena couldn't quite finish off McQueen when the teams last played back in December of 2024 and fell 66-64. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Carpenter, who went 7 for 12 on his way to 20 points and eight boards. Now that Galena knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
