Dove Creek has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Mancos Bluejays at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Dove Creek scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They breezed by Ridgway at home to the tune of 65-31. Given Dove Creek's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 113th, while Ridgway is ranked 235th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Dove Creek can attribute much of their success to Ralynn Hickman, who scored 17 points along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Kylie Gatlin, who scored 21 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gatlin has scored all season. Halee Beanland was another key contributor, scoring three points along with four steals.
Mancos posted their biggest win yet this season on Tuesday. They really took it to Dolores for the full four quarters, racking up a 57-15 win at home. That's two games straight that Mancos has won by exactly 42 points.
Quincy Montoya was her usual excellent self, scoring 25 points along with nine steals. Her trending in the right direction, as she's improved his point production for three games straight. The team also got some help courtesy of Claire Goodwin, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and five steals.
Dove Creek pushed their record up to 8-2 with that victory, which was their 11th straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.4 points per game. As for Mancos, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 8-2.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Hickman and Goodwin. Hickman has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 13.8 points, 4 steals, and 8 rebounds. For her part, Goodwin has averaged 18.3 points, 3.1 steals, and 6.8 rebounds.
Dove Creek strolled past Mancos in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a score of 58-39. Will Dove Creek repeat their success, or does Mancos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
