Two dominant guards in Timia Thomas and Donnayja Gibson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Silverado Skyhawks and the Sierra Vista Mountain Lions will face off at 5:30 p.m. on December 20th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Silverado had to endure a seven-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 35-28 victory over Western on Tuesday.
Silverado's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Christina Stowers, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds. Those 12 points set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Jack-Keller, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, Sierra Vista scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They secured a 58-53 W over Durango.
Sierra Vista found their leader in underclassman Gibson, who scored 23 points along with nine rebounds. That makes it five consecutive games in which Gibson has scored at least 25% of Sierra Vista's points. Chyann Felker was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with nine rebounds.
Silverado's win bumped their record up to 2-9. As for Sierra Vista, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Wednesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Silverado have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 34.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Sierra Vista, though, as they've been averaging only 7 rebounds per game. Given Silverado's sizeable advantage in that area, Sierra Vista will need to find a way to close that gap.
Silverado didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Sierra Vista when the teams last played back in January, but they still walked away with a 48-43 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Silverado since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
