Even though the Boulder Creek Jaguars have not done well against the Liberty Lions recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Boulder Creek came out on top against Liberty by a score of 50-39. Given Boulder Creek's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked tenth, while Liberty is ranked 41st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Boulder Creek got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Andrew Bhesania out in front who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds and three blocks. Another player making a difference was Jeehzus Pagan, who scored 13 points along with five rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Liberty lost, one person who can't be blamed is Ring Nyeri. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds. Nyeri is absolutely dominating the rebound category: he's posted at least eight every time he's taken the court this season.
Boulder Creek pushed their record up to 1-0 with that win, which was their third straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.3 points per game. As for Liberty, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season.
Boulder Creek will be playing at home against JSerra Catholic at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. JSerra Catholic knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past five matchups -- so hopefully Boulder Creek likes a good challenge. Liberty is on the road again on Tuesday and play against Hamilton at 7:00 p.m. on December 5th. Hamilton has insisted on making their lastfive contests complete nail-biters, turning in a record of 3-2 during that stretch of close contests.
