Valley is 1-9 against University since January of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Valley Vikings will be playing at home against the University Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Valley's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last five matches.
Valley scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 79-65 victory over Eaton. The win was all the more spectacular given Valley's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 271st, while Eaton is ranked 108th).
Valley had a senior duo take command as Aidan Brownell dropped a double-double on 27 points and ten steals and Owen Peterson scored 21 points along with six assists and six rebounds. Brownell also posted eight assists for the first time this season. Caleb Dudley was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with five rebounds.
Meanwhile, University's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight defeat. The game between them and Berthoud wasn't particularly close, with University falling 74-58. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Despite the loss, University had strong showings from Coehn Nitzel, who scored 27 points along with five rebounds and two steals, and John Elbe, who scored 15 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. It was the first time this season that Elbe posted two or more blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Gage Schminke, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Valley is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 5-14 record this season. As for University, they dropped their record down to 5-14 with that loss, which was their fourth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Valley have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.1 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Valley was dealt a bruising 82-43 loss at the hands of University in their previous matchup back in January. Will Valley have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
