The Wingate Bears are taking a road trip to square off against the Zuni Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Zuni took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Wingate, who comes in off a win.
Wingate will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Crownpoint, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Wingate snuck past Crownpoint with a 51-45 win on Wednesday. The victory was nothing new for the Bears as they're now sitting on three straight.
Zuni has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They came up short against Grants on Wednesday, falling 80-55. The Thunderbirds were down 62-42 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Wingate will need focus on slowing down Nathan Simplicio, one of several Zuni players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 11 points and eight rebounds. Simplicio is on a roll when it comes to boards, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last five games he's played. Deron Lastyano was another key player, putting up 14 points.
Even though they lost, Zuni smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.
Zuni suffered their first home loss, dropping their record down to 9-5. As for Wingate, their win bumped their record up to 6-7.
Wingate skirted past Zuni 44-41 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Will Wingate repeat their success, or does Zuni have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
