Basketball Game Preview: Desert Hills Thunder vs. Snow Canyon Warriors

Desert Hills hasn't had much luck against Snow Canyon recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Desert Hills Thunder will be playing in front of their home fans against the Snow Canyon Warriors at 7:00 p.m. Desert Hills knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matchups -- so hopefully Snow Canyon likes a good challenge.

Desert Hills saw some tournament action on Tuesday. They breezed by Elko to the tune of 65-35.

Among those leading the charge was Mason Rasmussen, who went 6 for 8 from beyond the arc on his way to 18 points. That's the most points he has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Jack Openshaw, who posted 12 points.

Meanwhile, Snow Canyon was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 48-42 heartbreaker at the hands of Tooele. The contest marked the Warriors' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Desert Hills will have to keep a close watch on Reggie Mackay and Gil Lamoreaux, a pair of players who had a big impact on Snow Canyon's prior game. Mackay had 15 points and five rebounds, while Lamoreaux almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds. Issaiah Thompson was another key player, going 5 of 7 on his way to 11 points.

Desert Hills has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.3 points per game. As for Snow Canyon, their loss dropped their record down to 2-10.

Desert Hills ended up a good deal behind Snow Canyon in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, losing 62-46. Thankfully for Desert Hills, Owen Mackay (who went 8 of 12 on his way to 22 points and eight rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.