The Tabiona Tigers will face off against the Manila Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Tabiona is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.6 points per game this season.
It was a proper cat-fight when Tabiona challenged Wendover on Saturday. Tabiona came out on top against Wendover by a score of 53-42. The score was all tied up 22-22 at the break, but the Tigers were the better team in the second half.
Gavin Rhoades
| 01/18/25 @ Wendover | 22 |
| 01/17/25 vs Rich | 17 |
| 01/11/25 vs Tintic | 15 |
| 01/09/25 vs Mount Vernon | 19 |
| 01/08/25 @ Altamont | 20 |
| 01/03/25 vs Bryce Valley | 21 |
Tabiona got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Gavin Rhoades out in front who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 18 boards. The contest was Rhoades' sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryson Fabrizio, who went 7 of 12 en route to 17 points along with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Manila, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Kemmerer on Saturday, sneaking past 55-52. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Mustangs considering their 21-point performance the game before.
Manila's win came from a few key players Tabiona will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brackin Lail, who went 5 for 6 on his way to 11 points and seven steals. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.2 steals per game. Ben Lail was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to five boards and five steals.
Tabiona pushed their record up to 11-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.8 points per game. As for Manila, their win ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Tabiona has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Manila struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Tabiona took their victory against Manila in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 51-31. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tabiona since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
