Two dominant in Kade Lemke and Casey Grove are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Big Valley Cardinals will head out on the road to challenge the Surprise Valley Hornets at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Big Valley suffered their biggest loss since November 30, 2023 on Tuesday. Their rough 59-37 loss to Happy Camp might stick with them for a while. Big Valley has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
The losing side was boosted by Marcus Mitchell, who scored ten points.
Meanwhile, Surprise Valley suffered a tough 55-34 defeat at the hands of Tulelake on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Surprise Valley has suffered against Tulelake since December 10, 2019.
Surprise Valley's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Grove, who scored 13 points along with four steals, and Iina Nabahe-Henry who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. That was a full 38.2% of Surprise Valley's points, marking the sixth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Big Valley's loss dropped their record down to 7-5. As for Surprise Valley, their defeat was their fourth straight at home, which bumped their record down to 5-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Big Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.6 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Surprise Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 22.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Big Valley beat Surprise Valley 44-34 in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Nabahe-Henry, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 17 rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Big Valley still be able to contain him? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
