Basketball Recap: Cholla Piles Up the Points Against Rio Rico

Chargers

Previous 5 Games

01/29/25 vs Rio Rico	85-49
01/27/25 vs Douglas	79-64
01/23/25 @ Amphitheater	86-32
01/21/25 vs Sahuarita	88-50
01/15/25 @ Rio Rico	77-29

Cholla waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Rio Rico Hawks 85-49. Given the Chargers' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 62nd, while the Hawks are ranked 308th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Cholla's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Michael Payne, who went 8 for 13 on his way to 20 points and seven assists. Payne has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last eight times he's played. Cyree Jenkins was another key player, going 7 of 12 en route to 18 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals.

Several Hawks players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Santiago Merino, who posted 15 points and five assists. Those five assists gave Merino a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Francisco Alday, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 12 boards.

Cholla pushed their record up to 14-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 84.0 points per game. As for Rio Rico, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-20.

Coincidentally, Cholla and Rio Rico will both be playing Amphitheater the next time they take the court. Cholla will host Amphitheater at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, while Rio Rico will head out to face them at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.