Basketball Game Preview: Safford Bulldogs vs. Tanque Verde Hawks

Safford and Tanque Verde are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Safford Bulldogs will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Tanque Verde Hawks at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with five consecutive losses for Safford and four for Tanque Verde.

Last Tuesday, Safford took a blow against Cholla, falling 110-39. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 258th, while the Chargers are ranked 65th).

Meanwhile, Tanque Verde came up short against Palo Verde on Tuesday and fell 67-57.

The match pitted two dominant guards against one another in Rich Knott and Daniel Ortiz. Ortiz had a solid game and posted 15 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Knott did his best for the losing side, going 8 for 17 on his way to 18 points and seven boards.

Safford's loss dropped their record down to 7-17. As for Tanque Verde, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-11.

Safford ended up a good deal behind Tanque Verde when the teams last played back in December of 2024, losing 61-42. Will Safford 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.