Desert Oasis is 10-0 against Sierra Vista since December of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Desert Oasis Diamondbacks just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Sierra Vista Mountain Lions at 6:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Desert Oasis came up short against Coronado and fell 53-44. The defeat continues a trend for the Diamondbacks in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now lost three in a row.
| 01/16/25 @ Coronado | 16 |
| 01/09/25 @ Liberty | 11 |
| 12/03/24 @ Canyon Springs | 10 |
| 12/05/24 vs Spring Valley | 10 |
| 11/30/24 vs Shadow Ridge | 8 |
Despite the loss, Desert Oasis saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kayleigh Upham went 7 of 17 en route to 16 points and seven rebounds. Those 16 points gave Upham a new career-high. Kazel Jones was another key player, putting up six points and six boards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sierra Vista, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. They snuck past Cimarron-Memorial with a 54-48 victory on Tuesday.
Desert Oasis better keep an eye on Donnayja Gibson. She was instrumental in Sierra Vista's win, going 7 for 12 on her way to 19 points in addition to seven steals and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Avery Silvas, who posted seven points along with five boards and five steals.
Sierra Vista pushed their record up to 11-7 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points per game. As for Desert Oasis, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Desert Oasis has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Sierra Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Desert Oasis against Sierra Vista in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, as the team secured a 54-19 victory. Will Desert Oasis repeat their success, or does Sierra Vista have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
