Lynchburg-Clay is 6-0 against Paint Valley since December of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against the Paint Valley Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
After a string of three wins, Lynchburg-Clay's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They fell 53-46 to North Adams.
Despite their defeat, Lynchburg-Clay saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jade Massey, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The game was Massey's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Addison West, who scored 13 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, Paint Valley's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. They fell to Westfall 49-43.
Despite the loss, Paint Valley saw an underclassman step up: Karris Dye scored 18 points along with seven rebounds. Dye has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last six times she's played. Sophia Stauffer was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.
Lynchburg-Clay's defeat dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Paint Valley, their loss was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 2-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lynchburg-Clay have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 27.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Paint Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 22.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went Lynchburg-Clay's way against Paint Valley in their previous meeting back in January as Lynchburg-Clay made off with a 56-30 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lynchburg-Clay since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
