Basketball Recap: Daphne Safo's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Rincon/University over Sunnyside

If Rincon/University was riding high fresh off their 63-29 takedown of Tucson High Magnet School last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Rincon/University Rangers fell 56-45 to the Sunnyside Blue Devils on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Rangers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 71st, while the Blue Devils are ranked 14th).

Daphne Safo

Rebounds

02/07/25 @ Sunnyside	15
01/28/25 vs Sunnyside	14
12/16/24 @ Sahuarita	14
01/31/25 @ Marana	13
11/27/24 vs St. David	13
+ 19 more games

Rincon/University's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Daphne Safo, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 15 rebounds. Safo is becoming a predictor of Rincon/University's success: when she posts at least eight boards the team is 15-3 (and 3-5 when she doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Leila O'Dowd, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Janae Pritchett continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Sunnyside, going 8 for 16 en route to 19 points and six steals. What's more, Pritchett also posted a 50% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Angelique Yanez, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten boards.

Rincon/University's loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 18-8. As for Sunnyside, they are on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 23-2 record this season.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Rincon/University will take on Ironwood Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Rincon/University is facing Ironwood Ridge at the right time seeing as Ironwood Ridge is stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Sunnyside, they will square off against Amphitheater at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sunnyside is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 59.8 points per game this season.