Aurora Central is 0-4 against Thomas Jefferson since December of 2014 but things could change on Thursday. The Aurora Central Trojans will be playing at home against the Thomas Jefferson Spartans at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Aurora Central didn't have too much trouble with Thornton as they won 39-23.
Jamaea Johnson-Gonzales
| 12/04/24 @ DSST: Montview | 11 |
| 12/02/24 @ Regis Groff | 8 |
| 02/06/25 vs Adams City | 6 |
| 12/17/24 @ Englewood | 6 |
| 12/10/24 vs Denver North | 6 |
| + 12 more games |
Jamaea Johnson-Gonzales continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. She also grabbed five steals, which is notable because Aurora Central is 8-2 when she posts at least five steals, but 3-5 otherwise. Andena Torres was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to six boards and four steals.
Aurora Central smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive rebounds in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Thomas Jefferson's strategy against Hinkley on Wednesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Thomas Jefferson blew Hinkley out of the water with a 58-12 final score. The victory continues a trend for the Spartans in their matchups with the Thunder: they've now won eight in a row.
Aurora Central better keep an eye on Leyna McClinon. She was instrumental in Thomas Jefferson's win, going 12-for-19 en route to 31 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. With that strong performance, McClinon is now averaging an impressive 15.9 points per game. Another player making a difference was Henleigh McKenna, who posted four points and eight boards.
Aurora Central has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.8 points over those games. As for Thomas Jefferson, their win bumped their record up to 7-11.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Aurora Central has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Thomas Jefferson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Aurora Central was taken down by Thomas Jefferson 71-18 when the teams last played back in January of 2018. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Aurora Central was down 40-8.
