Salpointe Catholic is on a four-game streak of home wins, while the Thunderbolts are on a seven-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Salpointe Catholic Lancers will take on the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Salpointe Catholic knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past ten contests -- so hopefully the Thunderbolts likes a good challenge.
On Wednesday, Salpointe Catholic strolled past the Cougars with points to spare, taking the game 68-49. Given Salpointe Catholic's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Cougars are ranked 42nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The match pitted two dominant guards against one another in Taliyah Henderson and Cassandra Coolidge. Henderson had a great game and scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, Coolidge did her best for the losing side, scoring 17 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Mica Mountain ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They came out on top against Douglas by a score of 46-38. Winning is a bit easier when you outrebound your opponent 18 to ten on the offensive boards, as Mica Mountain did.
Isabella Webb was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 19 points and 15 rebounds. She is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 15 or more in the last 16 games she's played. Another player making a difference was Kayley Sutton, who scored seven points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Salpointe Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 20-3 record this season. As for Mica Mountain, their victory bumped their record up to 17-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Salpointe Catholic have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Mica Mountain struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Salpointe Catholic against the Thunderbolts when the teams last played back in November of 2022 as the team secured a 69-37 win. Does Salpointe Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Thunderbolts turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
