The Cuba Rams will venture away from home to challenge the Sandia Prep Sundevils at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
If Cuba beats Sandia Prep with 63 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. Everything went Cuba's way against Bosque on Tuesday as Cuba made off with a 63-43 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.
| 01/28/25 vs Bosque | 12 |
| 01/21/25 @ Cottonwood Classical Prep | 16 |
| 01/18/25 vs McCurdy | 12 |
Cuba's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Denale Sandoval, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 boards, and Latishia Nez, who posted eight points and six rebounds. Sandoval is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down 12 or more in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Khloe Whitehorse, who had ten points.
Cuba smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Sandia Prep entered their tilt with Cottonwood Classical Prep on Tuesday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They enjoyed a cozy 46-30 victory over the Coyotes.
Cuba better keep an eye on Taylor Calkins. She was instrumental in Sandia Prep's win, going 6 of 13 on her way to 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks. That's the most points Calkins has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Madlyn Dopson, who earned 16 points and six assists.
Cuba's record now sits at 8-12. As for Sandia Prep, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cuba has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 34.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sandia Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cuba came up short against Sandia Prep in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 44-39. Can Cuba avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
