The Palisade Bulldogs lost against the Grand Junction Tigers back in December of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Saturday. Palisade took a 54-41 hit to the loss column at the hands of Grand Junction. Palisade has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Palisade saw an underclassman step up: Hunter Howard scored 14 points along with seven steals and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Fred Moore, who scored 11 points along with five rebounds.
Will Applegate was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds for Grand Junction. Applegate continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Schmalz, who scored 13 points.
Palisade has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Grand Junction, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 9-3.
Palisade will be playing in front of their home fans against Fruita Monument at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Fruita Monument knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 12 contests -- so hopefully Palisade likes a good challenge. As for Grand Junction, they will head out on the road to square off against Eagle Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Colorado (Eagle Valley is ranked 87th, while Grand Junction is ranked 72nd).
