The Flatirons Academy Bison will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Belleview Christian Bruins at 6:00 p.m. The timing is sure in Flatirons Academy's favor as the team sits on ten straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while the Bruins have been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road.
Last Saturday, Flatirons Academy strolled past the Eagles with points to spare, taking the game 40-21. Given Flatirons Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Eagles are ranked 226th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Flatirons Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Emily Dehaan led the charge by scoring 13 points along with three steals. Brylin Gomer was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 11 rebounds and ten blocks.
Meanwhile, Belleview Christian struggled with offensive rebounds on Friday (the Longhorns had 13 more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Belleview Christian had to suffer through a rough 51-19 loss at the hands of the Longhorns. Belleview Christian was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-9.
Despite their loss, Belleview Christian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Harjas Thiara, who scored seven points along with five rebounds and two steals, was perhaps the best of all. Thiara is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last nine games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ivy Esch, who scored four points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Belleview Christian struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Flatirons Academy's victory bumped their record up to 12-1. As for Belleview Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Flatirons Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Belleview Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Flatirons Academy against the Bruins when the teams last played back in February of 2023 as the squad secured a 66-6 win. With Flatirons Academy ahead 41-6 at the half, the game was all but over already.
