The Lamar Thunder will face off against the La Junta Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lamar's defense has only allowed 27.4 points per game this season, so La Junta's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Back in December of 2024, Lamar earned a 26-14 victory over Buena Vista. Given the Thunder's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 88th, while the Demons are ranked 201st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 12/21/24 vs Buena Vista | 12 |
| 12/20/24 vs Salida | 17 |
| 12/14/24 vs Sterling | 7 |
| 12/13/24 vs Severance | 7 |
| 12/12/24 @ Fort Lupton | 7 |
Lamar's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Brooklyn Robbins, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 rebounds. With that strong performance, Robbins is now averaging an impressive 8.2 rebounds per game. Tatum Milenski was another key player, putting up six points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Lamar smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Buena Vista only pulled down six offensive boards.
Meanwhile, La Junta came into Saturday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They enjoyed a cozy 42-24 victory over Pueblo Central on Saturday.
Lamar better focus on containing Isabelle Aragon and Raquel Rodriguez as the pair were huge in La Junta's win. Aragon dropped a double-double on 13 points and 14 boards, while Rodriguez went 6 of 12 on her way to 18 points and eight rebounds. The dominant performance gave Rodriguez a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kinsley Mayo, who posted two points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.
La Junta's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Lamar, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lamar has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like La Junta struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Lamar against La Junta when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the squad secured a 45-18 victory. In that game, Lamar amassed a halftime lead of 28-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
