The Centennial Rams will look to defend their home court on Saturday against the Sierra Grande Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Wednesday, Centennial didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Cripple Creek-Victor, but they still walked away with a 39-33 win. The victory was just what Centennial needed coming off of a 54-14 loss in their prior contest.
Centennial relied on the efforts of Reina Aguilera, who dropped a double-double on 13 rebounds and 22 blocks, and Anai Medina, who scored 26 points along with eight rebounds and six steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Medina has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Laila Garcia, who scored three points along with 14 rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Sierra Grande entered their tilt with Sangre de Cristo with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Sierra Grande had just enough and edged Sangre de Cristo out 48-46. The win was all the more spectacular given Sierra Grande's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 280th, while Sangre de Cristo is ranked 139th).
Sierra Grande's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Alexia Gonzalez, who scored 16 points along with five steals, and Jaylyn Quezada, who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 29 points and 0 assists. Quezada hasn't dropped below five steals for ten straight games.
Centennial's victory bumped their record up to 3-10. As for Sierra Grande, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-9 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Centennial have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 34.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sierra Grande struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Centennial might still be hurting after the 54-34 loss they got from Sierra Grande in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Thankfully for Centennial, Mariana Loya (who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
