Basketball Game Preview: Reed Raiders vs. McQueen Lancers

Reed hasn't had much luck against McQueen recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. Both will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. Reed is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.

Reed will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Douglas, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Reed walked away with a 49-36 win over Douglas on Tuesday. The contest marked the Raiders' most dominant victory of the season so far.

Reed's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Faanaetaua Puloka, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Puloka is also crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Anastasia Lombardi, who posted eight points in addition to five rebounds and four steals.

Meanwhile, McQueen was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost to Carson on the road by a 48-30 margin. While the Lancers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Senators 6-2 in the first quarter.

Reed will have to keep a close watch on Audrey Baumgardner and LaQuaya Tillman, a pair of players who had a big impact on McQueen's prior game. Baumgardner had nine points, while Tillman posted nine points along with five rebounds and three steals. The dominant performance also gave Tillman a new career-high in blocks (two).

McQueen's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Reed, their win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-1.

Reed came up short against McQueen when the teams last played back in January, falling 38-29. Can Reed avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.