Basketball Game Preview: Mesa Jackrabbits vs. Desert Vista Thunder

Mesa and Desert Vista are an even 3-3 against one another since February of 2015, but not for long. The Mesa Jackrabbits will be playing at home against the Desert Vista Thunder at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mesa knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past nine matches -- so hopefully Desert Vista likes a good challenge.

Mesa is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Westwood: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Mesa blew Westwood out of the water with an 80-23 final score. With the Jackrabbits ahead 55-14 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Mesa found their leader in freshman Jakyi Miles, who dropped a double-double on 33 points and ten boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Miles has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brig Bowden, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards.

Mesa smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Desert Vista faced Millennium in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Desert Vista came up short against Millennium, falling 73-53. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Thunder have suffered since November 22, 2024.

Mesa is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.7 points per game. As for Desert Vista, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-6 record this season.

Mesa came out on top in a nail-biter against Desert Vista in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, sneaking past 65-62. Does Mesa have another victory up their sleeve, or will Desert Vista turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.