The Golden West Trailblazers will look to take advantage of their home court for the first time this season as they take on the Washington Union Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Golden West is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games.
Last Monday, Golden West didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Arvin, but they still walked away with a 42-38 victory.
Golden West can attribute much of their success to Aniyah Venegas, who shot 53% from the field en route to 24 points along with six rebounds and six steals, and Julissa Anaya, who went 5-for-12 on her way to 14 points. That makes it four consecutive games in which Venegas has scored at least a third of the Trailblazers' points. Shayla Torrecilla also deserves some recognition as she grabbed her first steals of the season.
Golden West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Washington Union faced off against Edison on Tuesday. The Panthers took down the Tigers 37-20. That 17 point margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Washington Union's win came from a few key players Golden West will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Leshay Leavy, who shot 80% from the field to rack up 18 points and six steals. Her big performance that evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 16 points. Esmeralda Guerrero/Avila was another key player, putting up eight points and four steals.
The win got Washington Union back to even at 3-3. As for Golden West, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Golden West has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Washington Union struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
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