Basketball Recap: Tempe Comes Up Short

Tempe was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They fell 63-54 to the Cortez Colts. Sadly, that's the second time they've come up short against the Buffaloes this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 66-55 back in January.

When it comes to explaining why Tempe lost, don't look at Damon Broadnax. Despite the final result, he posted 19 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Those 19 points gave Broadnax a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Josiah Criss, who put up 12 points and three steals.

Leading Cortez to victory were Ulysses Espinoza and Nygel Lindsey. Espinoza went 8 of 19 on his way to 24 points in addition to seven assists and five boards, while Lindsey dropped a double-double on 13 points and 15 rebounds. The contest was Espinoza's third in a row with at least ten points. Tylin Hunter also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

Tempe's loss dropped their record down to 10-13. As for Cortez, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 13-3.

Tempe didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 58-52 defeat against Coronado on the 31st. Cortez has also already played their next game, a 67-41 victory against Desert Sunrise on the 31st.