The Clayton Bulldogs will head out on the road to face off against the Talihina Golden Tigers at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Thursday, Clayton wound up with the same score they had in their last game (46-41), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. While losing is never fun, they can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Oklahoma basketball rankings (they are ranked 272nd, while Kinta is ranked 97th).
Clayton's loss came about despite a quality game from Tyler Clemons, who scored 19 points along with two steals. Clemons continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Shelton Lewis was another key contributor, scoring six points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Talihina came up short against Panama on Friday and fell 48-41. Talihina has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Ramses Hernandez, who scored 11 points. Another player making a difference was Kaidon Potts, who scored ten points.
Clayton's loss ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-7. Talihina's record is now 8-8.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Clayton have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 32.4 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Talihina, though, as they've been averaging only 22.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Clayton ended up a good deal behind Talihina in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, losing 54-36. Can Clayton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
