The Standley Lake Gators will square off against the Mullen Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Standley Lake will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
Last Saturday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Standley Lake beat Englewood 54-48. Given the Gators' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 48th in Colorado, while the Pirates are ranked 231st in Colorado), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Standley Lake got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Asher Serlen out in front who went 7-for-13 en route to 16 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Titus Schrecengost, who went 5-for-10 to rack up 13 points and five assists.
Standley Lake was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Englewood only nine assists.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Mullen had no trouble coming through when it counted. They came out on top against Pueblo County by a score of 70-62 on Tuesday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Mustangs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Mullen's win came from a few key players Standley Lake will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ben Medina, who went 8-for-15 on his way to 19 points and eight steals. He is becoming a predictor of Mullen's success: when he posts at least five steals the team is undefeated (and 7-14 when he doesn't). Grayson Bauer was another key player, going 6-for-13 en route to 23 points.
Standley Lake's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-5. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points over those games. As for Mullen, their victory bumped their record up to 10-14.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's game: Standley Lake has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 35.2% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Mullen, though, as they've only made 26.4% of their three-pointers this season. Given Standley Lake's sizable advantage in that area, Mullen will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
