Preview: Sunnyside Blue Devils vs. Rincon/University Rangers
The Sunnyside Blue Devils will be playing at home against the Rincon/University Rangers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Even though Sunnyside has not done well against Ironwood Ridge recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Sunnyside secured a 78-72 W over Ironwood Ridge. The win was just what Sunnyside needed coming off of a 78-47 defeat in their prior contest.
MANUEL MORENO was his usual excellent self, scoring 27 points along with seven steals and six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Isaac Moreno Leyva, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 assists.
Rincon/University suffered their closest loss yet this season on Friday. They fell just short of Cholla by a score of 69-67. Rincon/University has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Rincon/University got a solid performance out of Sam O'Dowd, who scored 18 points along with five rebounds and four blocks. O'Dowd hasn't dropped below 15points for three straight games. Abel Munoz-McDaniels was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with seven assists and two steals.
Even though they lost, Rincon/University smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cholla only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
Sunnyside's win bumped their record up to 10-11. As for Rincon/University, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-12 record this season.
Sunnyside came up short against Rincon/University when the teams last played back in January of 2023, falling 73-61. Can Sunnyside avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
