Lucerne Valley has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Apple Valley Christian Warriors at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Apple Valley Christian took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Lucerne Valley, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Lucerne Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Silver Valley, taking the game 44-36.
Lucerne Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jasmine Pepper led the charge by dropping a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. Pepper hasn't dropped below two steals for four straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Amaya Kelly, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 18 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Apple Valley Christian's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Friday after their third straight loss. They fell 29-16 to Excelsior Charter.
Despite the defeat, Apple Valley Christian got a solid performance out of Jocelynn LoPorto, who scored ten points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points LoPorto has scored all season.
Lucerne Valley's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. As for Apple Valley Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Lucerne Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Apple Valley Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 15.2 rebounds per game. Given Lucerne Valley's sizeable advantage in that area, Apple Valley Christian will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lucerne Valley took their victory against Apple Valley Christian when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a conclusive 26-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lucerne Valley since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
