Basketball Game Preview: Basha Bears vs. South Mountain Jaguars

The Basha Bears will challenge the South Mountain Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Having struggled with four losses in a row, Basha turned things around against Mater Dei Catholic back in December of 2024. They took down the Crusaders 56-42. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 64th in Arizona, while the Crusaders are ranked 329th in California), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Basha's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Grace Beckler, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 boards. Another player making a difference was Amira Reynolds, who went 5 of 8 en route to 12 points and five rebounds.

Basha smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in nine consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask South Mountain). They took their game last Saturday with ease, bagging a 62-18 victory over Coronado. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

South Mountain's victory bumped their record up to 5-7. As for Basha, their win bumped their record up to 9-6.