Basketball Game Preview: Desert Christian Eagles vs. Benson Bobcats

Desert Christian and Benson are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2017, but not for long. The Desert Christian Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Benson Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Desert Christian's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matches.

Last Monday, Desert Christian humbled St. Augustine Catholic with a 64-37 victory. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 20 points or more this season.

It was another big night for Tyson Dobbins, who dropped a double-double on 34 points and ten rebounds. His evening made it five games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Cooper Payne, who posted eight points and eight boards.

Desert Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 16 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Benson challenged North Valley Christian Academy on Tuesday. Benson came up short against North Valley Christian Academy, falling 70-45. While losing is never fun, the Bobcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 279th, while the Lions are ranked 105th).

Benson has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-18 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.0 points per game. As for Desert Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 25-3 record this season.

Desert Christian beat Benson 63-51 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Will Desert Christian repeat their success, or does Benson have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.