Tupper Lake has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Saranac Lake Red Storm at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Tupper Lake knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past six contests -- so hopefully Saranac Lake likes a good challenge.
Tupper Lake has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 28 points or more this season. They claimed a resounding 83-50 victory over Lisbon Central at home. With Tupper Lake ahead 46-23 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Tupper Lake's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Thomas Peterson, who scored 35 points along with six assists and five rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which Peterson has scored at least 25% of Tupper Lake's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Garrett Pelkey, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Even though Saranac Lake has not done well against AuSable Valley recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Saranac Lake took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 62-30 win over AuSable Valley. That looming 62-30 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Saranac Lake yet this season.
Caleb Akey continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 23 points along with nine steals and six assists. Those six assists set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Mik Denkenberger, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds.
Tupper Lake pushed their record up to 6-0 with that victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 24.85 points. As for Saranac Lake, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Tupper Lake have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 36.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Saranac Lake, though, as they've been averaging only 34 rebounds per game. Given Tupper Lake's sizeable advantage in that area, Saranac Lake will need to find a way to close that gap.
Tupper Lake lost to Saranac Lake on the road by a decisive 59-42 margin in their previous meeting back in December of 2022. Can Tupper Lake avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
