Basketball Game Preview: Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks vs. Salpointe Catholic Lancers

Ironwood Ridge hasn't had much luck against Salpointe Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks will look to defend their home court against the Salpointe Catholic Lancers at 7:00 p.m. Ironwood Ridge is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.4 points per game this season.

Ironwood Ridge is headed into Tuesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Wednesday. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 55-52 heartbreaker at the hands of Walden Grove. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Nighthawks have suffered since November 20, 2024.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Carter Brown, who posted 17 points in addition to eight rebounds and four steals. His evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was David Baba, who scored six points along with six boards and four blocks.

Meanwhile, Salpointe Catholic unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell 63-53 to Notre Dame Prep. While losing is never fun, the Lancers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 63rd, while the Saints are ranked eighth).

Salpointe Catholic's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-8. As for Ironwood Ridge, their loss dropped their record down to 9-11.

Ironwood Ridge lost to Salpointe Catholic at home by a decisive 62-47 margin when the teams last played back in January. Will Ironwood Ridge 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.