The Pueblo Centennial Bulldogs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They were the victim of a tough 88-68 loss at the hands of Pueblo West. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Pueblo Centennial in their matchups with Pueblo West: they've now lost six in a row.
Pueblo Centennial's loss came despite strong showings from Shon West and Jeffrey Valdez. West dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds, while Valdez scored 20 points along with five assists and two blocks. It was the first time this season that Valdez posted two or more blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Lynch, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Pueblo West got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Malachi Stump out in front who scored 25 points along with seven assists and five rebounds. Stump is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Logan Montgomery, who scored 18 points along with two steals and two blocks.
Pueblo Centennial has not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Pueblo West, they pushed their record up to 10-6 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pueblo Centennial will take on Pueblo Central at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Pueblo Centennial will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings (they are ranked 220th, while Pueblo Central is ranked 90th). As for Pueblo West, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Pueblo South at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Pueblo West focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 15 on Tuesday.