vs
| 12/21/24 - Away | 52-39 W |
| 01/27/24 - Away | 57-48 W |
| 01/28/23 - Home | 57-58 L |
| 01/29/22 - Away | 37-54 L |
| 12/21/19 - Away | 51-28 W |
| + 5 more games |
Lamar and Buena Vista are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2017, but not for long. The Lamar Thunder will square off against the Buena Vista Demons at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Lamar is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
Last Tuesday, Lamar was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 48-44 to Colorado Springs Christian.
Despite their defeat, Lamar saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Gabrian Jacobs, who almost dropped a double-double with 11 points and nine boards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Jacob Dunning, who posted 14 points.
Even though they lost, Lamar 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 13 consecutive games.
Buena Vista has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They lost to Salida on the road by a 58-40 margin on Tuesday.
Lamar will have to keep a close watch on Julian Lopez-Olsen and Noah Bearss, a pair of players who had a big impact on Buena Vista's prior game. Lopez-Olsen put up 12 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals, while Bearss had eight points and five steals. That's the most steals Lopez-Olsen has posted since back in January. Landon Pace was another key player, putting up eight points.
Buena Vista's loss dropped their record down to 14-7. As for Lamar, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lamar has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Buena Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lamar beat Buena Vista 52-39 when the teams last played back in December of 2024. Does Lamar have another victory up their sleeve, or will Buena Vista turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
