Basketball Preview: Chandler Prep Titans vs. Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils
Chandler Prep is 3-0 against the Dust Devils since January of 2023, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Chandler Prep Titans will head out on the road to challenge the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Wednesday, Chandler Prep was able to grind out a solid win over the Wolves, taking the game 62-49. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Chandler Prep.
Chandler Prep can attribute much of their success to Caleb So, who scored 26 points, and Noah Ruiz, who dropped a triple-double on 16 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. Ruiz hasn't dropped below two steals for 12 straight games. Another player making a difference was Grant Hopper, who scored six points.
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Valley scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They took their game at home with ease, bagging a 86-15 victory over Sequoia Pathway Academy. That 71 point margin sets a new team best for Santa Cruz Valley this season.
Chandler Prep's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-7. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.3 points per game. As for Santa Cruz Valley, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-11.
Chandler Prep won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer in their previous meeting back in January, slipping by the Dust Devils 55-54. The rematch might be a little tougher for Chandler Prep since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
