The Nevada Union Miners will face off against the Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Last Thursday, Nevada Union lost to Placer on the road by a 56-38 margin. While losing is never fun, the Miners can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 795th, while the Hillmen are ranked 267th).
Despite their loss, Nevada Union saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sydney Tesene, who posted seven points and six rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Elle Conway was another key player, putting up ten points.
Even though they lost, Nevada Union smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Twelve Bridges didn't have too much trouble with Yuba City on Thursday as they won 45-29. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Raging Rhinos.
Twelve Bridges' win came from a few key players Nevada Union will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mia DeMatteis, who put up 12 points and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Carpenter, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards.
Nevada Union has traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-15 record this season. As for Twelve Bridges, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Nevada Union has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Twelve Bridges struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Nevada Union came up short against Twelve Bridges in their previous matchup back in January, falling 56-44. Will Nevada Union have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
