Basketball Game Preview: Cesar Chavez Champions vs. Highland Hawks

The Cesar Chavez Champions will head out to square off against the Highland Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Cesar Chavez knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Highland likes a good challenge.

Cesar Chavez saw some tournament action two weeks ago. They walked away with a 63-56 victory over Campo Verde.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Cesar Chavez to victory, but perhaps none more so than Alex Ballard, who went 6 of 15 en route to 18 points and six rebounds. That's the most rebounds Ballard has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Lakeisha Robinson, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Highland played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Mesa, falling 56-27. The game marked the Hawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Cesar Chavez will need focus on slowing down Elle Draves, one of several Highland players who made an impact when they last played. She posted eight points. Draves continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played.

Highland has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season. As for Cesar Chavez, their win bumped their record up to 11-5.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cesar Chavez has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Everything went Cesar Chavez's way against Highland in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as Cesar Chavez made off with a 55-30 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cesar Chavez since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.