Basketball Game Preview: Apache Junction Prospectors vs. Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils

The Apache Junction Prospectors will face off against the Santa Cruz Valley Dust Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Apache Junction is coming into the match on a six-game losing streak.

It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 68-35, which was the final score in Apache Junction's tilt against Florence on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Prospectors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 253rd, while the Gophers are ranked 39th).

Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Valley got the win against ALA - Anthem South on Friday by a conclusive 50-27. The Dust Devils have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four contests by 22 points or more this season.

Santa Cruz Valley is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.8 points per game. As for Apache Junction, their loss dropped their record down to 6-13.

Apache Junction beat Santa Cruz Valley 45-37 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Santa Cruz Valley's Nathan Harris, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 17 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Apache Junction still be able to contain Harris? There's only one way to find out.