Basketball Game Preview: Rincon/University Rangers vs. Buena Colts

The Rincon/University Rangers will venture away from home to square off against the Buena Colts at 12:00 p.m. on Monday. Buena took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Rincon/University, who comes in off a win.

Last Friday, Rincon/University was fully in charge, breezing past Maryvale 66-9. Given the Rangers' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 95th, while the Panthers are ranked 267th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Buena was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They had to suffer through a 70-38 loss at the hands of Pueblo.

Rincon/University will need focus on slowing down Icsiss Perez, one of several Buena players who made an impact when they last played. She almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards. Another player making a difference was Kalel Palacios, who posted 11 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Buena smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive matchups.

Buena's defeat dropped their record down to 5-7. As for Rincon/University, their win bumped their record up to 12-7.

Rincon/University was able to grind out a solid victory over Buena when the teams last played back in December of 2024, winning 46-34. Will Rincon/University repeat their success, or does Buena have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.