Centauri has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. The Centauri Falcons and the Bayfield Wolverines will face off at 5:30 p.m. on February 2nd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Centauri struggled with assists on Saturday (Pagosa Springs had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Centauri fell just short of Pagosa Springs by a score of 41-38.
Centauri's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Rylie McCarroll, who scored four points along with six rebounds and two steals, and Braelyn Tucker who scored 11 points along with three steals. Tucker hasn't dropped below two steals for six straight games.
Centauri struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Bayfield's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their sixth straight loss. They were beaten by Montezuma-Cortez 57-27. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Bayfield in their matchups with Montezuma-Cortez: they've now lost eight in a row.
Renae Foutz was Bayfield's leading scorer, having posted eight points. Foutz also led the team in rebounds with seven.
Centauri's loss ended a 17-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 10-4. As for Bayfield, their loss dropped their record down to 3-10.
Friday's match is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Centauri have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bayfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Centauri against Bayfield in their previous meeting on January 13th as the team secured a 48-8 victory. With Centauri ahead 31-4 at the half, the match was all but over already.
