The Elk Grove Thundering Herd will face off against the Monterey Trail Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Elk Grove is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Laguna Creek just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell to the Cardinals 69-63. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Thundering Herd came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 158th, while the Cardinals are ranked 614th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Noah Hargrave, who went 10 of 22 en route to 22 points and three steals. Another player making a difference was Danny Dennaoui, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Elk Grove smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 14 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Monterey Trail entered their tilt with Sheldon on Wednesday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Huskies, sneaking past 65-62.
Monterey Trail's win came from a few key players Elk Grove will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rashawn Inglemon, who went 10 of 16 on his way to 25 points. His evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Derron White, who posted 13 points along with six boards and five assists.
Monterey Trail's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.8 points per game. As for Elk Grove, their loss dropped their record down to 12-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Elk Grove has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Monterey Trail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Elk Grove strolled past Monterey Trail when the teams last played back in December of 2019 by a score of 75-60. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Monterey Trail's Varick Lewis, who went 10 of 24 on his way to 25 points and seven rebounds. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Elk Grove to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
