Two dominant in Casey Grove and Kade Lemke are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Surprise Valley Hornets will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Big Valley Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Surprise Valley suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Tuesday. They were the victim of a tough 55-34 defeat at the hands of Tulelake. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Surprise Valley has suffered against Tulelake since December 10, 2019.
Surprise Valley's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Grove, who scored 13 points along with four steals, and Iina Nabahe-Henry who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. That was a full 38.2% of Surprise Valley's points, marking the sixth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Meanwhile, Big Valley suffered a rough 59-37 loss at the hands of Happy Camp on Tuesday. Big Valley has not had much luck with Happy Camp recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Big Valley's defeat came about despite a quality game from Marcus Mitchell, who scored ten points.
Surprise Valley's loss was their fourth straight at home, which bumped their record down to 5-7. As for Big Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 7-5.
Thursday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Surprise Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 22.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Big Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 31.6 rebounds per game. Given Surprise Valley's sizeable advantage in that area, Big Valley will need to find a way to close that gap.
Surprise Valley came up short against Big Valley in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, falling 44-34. Will Surprise Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
