The Ponderosa Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the Castle View Sabercats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ponderosa is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road.
Last Tuesday, Ponderosa was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 59-53 to Regis Jesuit. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Ponderosa has scored all season.
Despite their loss, Ponderosa saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Noah Wilhelm, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Wilhelm hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Dylan Karsteter, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds.
Even though they lost, Ponderosa smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Regis Jesuit only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Castle View has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a 68-62 hit to the loss column at the hands of Chaparral. While losing is never fun, Castle View can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 57th, while Chaparral is ranked ninth).
Castle View's loss came about despite a quality game from Vitorio Dante, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and ten rebounds. That was a full 37.1% of Castle View's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Evan Mckean was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Ponderosa's record now sits at 11-4. Castle View's record is now 10-5.
Thursday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Ponderosa have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Castle View, though, as they've been averaging only 30.1 rebounds per game. Given Ponderosa's sizeable advantage in that area, Castle View will need to find a way to close that gap.
Ponderosa beat Castle View 80-69 when the teams last played back in January of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Castle View's Owen Clarke, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Ponderosa to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
