Green Valley has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Western Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nevada (Green Valley is ranked 80th, while Western is ranked 82nd).
Last Thursday, Green Valley was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 41-35 to Sierra Vista. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Green Valley in their matchups with Sierra Vista: they've now lost three in a row.
Despite the loss, Green Valley had strong showings from Gianessa Vazquez, who scored 15 points, and Jazmine Ramirez, who scored 11 points along with three steals. Amelia Rawhouser was another key contributor, scoring four points.
Even though Western has not done well against Rancho recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Western walked away with a 49-42 win over Rancho. The win made it back-to-back wins for Western.
Western found their leader in underclassman Laila Lwaba, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Lwaba has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Qaaima Taylor, who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds.
Green Valley's loss was their third straight at home, which bumped their record down to 5-17. As for Western, their victory bumped their record up to 5-10.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Green Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 31.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Green Valley skirted past Western 34-32 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for Green Valley since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
