The Horizon Hawks waltzed into their match on Friday with seven straight wins but they left with eight. They snuck past Fossil Ridge with a 58-52 victory. Given Horizon's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked ninth, while the SaberCats are ranked 65th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Horizon's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Natalie Thornton, who scored 13 points along with six assists and two steals. Thornton hasn't dropped below two steals for five straight games. Morgan Ives was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with two steals.
When it comes to explaining why Fossil Ridge lost, one person who can't be blamed is Gianna Leone. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time this season that Leone scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Ava Hurlbut, who scored ten points along with eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Fossil Ridge smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Horizon only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
Horizon pushed their record up to 15-2 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.0 points per game. As for Fossil Ridge, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 10-9.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Horizon will take on the Lobos at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Rocky Mountain knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully the Hawks like a good challenge. As for Fossil Ridge, they will look to defend their home court on Saturday against the Lightning at 12:30 p.m.
