Valley is 0-10 against University since January of 2017 but things could change on Wednesday. The Valley Vikings just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the University Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past The Pinnacle 62-7 on Tuesday. The match was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 44-2.
| 01/14/25 vs The Pinnacle | 4 |
| 01/08/25 vs Brush | 6 |
| 12/19/24 @ Wellington | 2 |
Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Nevaeh Jimenez led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 17 points and nine boards. Jimenez has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Alivia Lawing was another key player, going 8 of 12 on her way to 21 points.
Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, University put another one in the bag last Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 51-39 victory over Lutheran. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Lions are ranked 98th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
University's win came from a few key players Valley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Janay Kravig, who posted 13 points along with five boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Allizzey Madrigal, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 13 points in addition to five rebounds and five steals.
University's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.7 points per game. As for Valley, their victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 6-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Valley has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.6 boards per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Valley suffered a grim 54-34 defeat to University in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can Valley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
