Arvada West has won six straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Valor Christian has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Arvada West Wildcats will host the Valor Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Arvada West will bounce into Friday's match after beating Bear Creek, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Arvada West put the hurt on Bear Creek with a sharp 54-32 win on Friday. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Bears are ranked 110th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Arvada West's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Saylor Swanson, who posted 14 points. Avery Harrison was another key player, putting up eight points and nine boards.
Arvada West was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bear Creek only racked up six assists.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Valor Christian's strategy against Lakewood on Wednesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Valor Christian blew Lakewood out of the water with a 78-22 final score. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 54-15.
Arvada West better keep an eye on Peyton Jones. She was instrumental in Valor Christian's win, dropping a double-double on 28 points and 12 steals. That makes it five consecutive games in which Jones has scored at least a third of Valor Christian's points. Another player making a difference was Quinn VanSickle, who went 7 of 14 on her way to 18 points.
Valor Christian is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-2 record this season. As for Arvada West, their win bumped their record up to 12-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Arvada West has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Valor Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Arvada West was taken down by Valor Christian 71-41 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will Arvada West 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.
