The Saguaro Sabercats will venture away from home to face off against the Marcos de Niza Padres at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Saguaro turned things around against Arcadia on Wednesday. They blew past the Titans 76-56. The Sabercats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 20 points or more this season.
| 01/15/25 @ Arcadia | 17 |
| 12/30/24 vs Viewpoint | 14 |
| 12/21/24 vs Gilbert Christian | 13 |
| 12/28/24 vs Aliso Niguel | 11 |
| 11/20/24 @ Sahuarita | 10 |
Saguaro's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bentley Elrod, who went 6 for 12 en route to 17 points. Those 17 points gave Elrod a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Pierce Harrington, who posted 13 points.
Saguaro smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Marcos de Niza beat Tempe 88-84 on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Padres.
Saguaro better keep an eye on James Steward. He was instrumental in Marcos de Niza's win, dropping a double-double on 33 points and 23 boards. Steward has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 21 times he's played. Jeidarion Richard was another key player, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Saguaro pushed their record up to 12-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 45.8 points. As for Marcos de Niza, their victory bumped their record up to 13-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as Saguaro and Marcos de Niza are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Saguaro hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 70.7 points per game. However, it's not like Marcos de Niza struggles in that department as they've been averaging 67.2 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Everything came up roses for Saguaro against Marcos de Niza when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 75-37 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Saguaro since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
