Two dominant guards in Bryce Mella and Coleman Atwater are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The American Fork Cavemen will take on the Davis Darts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. American Fork has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.
American Fork is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They came out on top against Fremont by a score of 59-50. That nine point margin sets a new team best for the Cavemen this season.
Mella continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 6-for-11 en route to 18 points and six boards. Jax Clark was another key player, going 5-for-9 to rack up 15 points and six rebounds.
American Fork was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2024.
Meanwhile, Davis came tearing into Friday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.9 points), and they left with even more momentum. They came within five points of losing the streak, but they secured a 66-61 W against the Warriors. Given the Darts' advantage in MaxPreps' Utah basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Warriors are ranked 40th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
American Fork better keep an eye on Atwater. He was instrumental in Davis' win, going 9-for-19 on his way to 23 points and five boards. Atwater's evening made it 11 games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Tradon Bessinger, who almost dropped a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Davis' win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 20-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.8 points over those games. As for American Fork, their record now sits at 8-16.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: American Fork has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 24.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Davis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
American Fork might still be hurting after the 59-36 defeat they got from Davis in their previous matchup back in December of 2021. Can American Fork avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
