Basketball Recap: Tiara Jones' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Morenci over Tombstone

Morenci lost against Tombstone back in December of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Thursday. The Morenci Wildcats took a 56-45 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tombstone Yellow Jackets. The Wildcats' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Morenci lost despite a true team effort on offense, the best among them being Tiara Jones, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 16 points along with seven rebounds and four blocks. The game was Jones' third in a row with at least ten points. Arwa Abdulqader also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.

Even though they lost, Morenci smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Tombstone's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Rachel Thursby, who went 6 for 15 en route to 19 points. Thursby continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Damaris Alvarez, who went 7 of 16 on her way to 16 points and three steals.

Morenci's defeat dropped their record down to 11-15. As for Tombstone, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 21-5.

Morenci will challenge Santa Rita at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Morenci is facing Santa Rita at the right time seeing as Santa Rita is stuck on a six-game losing streak. Tombstone has already played their next contest (against Valley Union), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.