Basketball Game Preview: Fort Thomas Apaches vs. Safford Bulldogs

Fort Thomas and Safford are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2014, but not for long. The Fort Thomas Apaches will be taking part in a tournament against the Safford Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. Safford took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Fort Thomas, who comes in off a win.

Fort Thomas' offense will try to repeat the strong performance it gave on Tuesday, when they got past Duncan's usually-dominant defense. Fort Thomas simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Duncan 55-21. With the Apaches ahead 38-8 at the half, the game was all but over already.

Fort Thomas' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jamie Johnson, who went 7 of 12 on her way to 14 points and seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Benally, who posted ten points along with five rebounds and four steals.

Meanwhile, Safford was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were outmatched by Payson and fell 55-21. The contest marked the Bulldogs' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Safford's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Fort Thomas, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.

Fort Thomas beat Safford 60-51 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. Will Fort Thomas repeat their success, or does Safford have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.