Basketball Game Preview: Desert Vista Thunder vs. Sunnyslope Vikings

The Desert Vista Thunder will face off against the Sunnyslope Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Desert Vista is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

Desert Vista is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Gilbert, sneaking past 42-40. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Thunder have posted against the Tigers since January 29, 2015.

Trinity Jones

Points

02/20/25 @ Gilbert	17
02/18/25 vs Perry	16
02/12/25 @ Sunnyslope	17

Desert Vista can attribute much of their success to Zaire 'Cherri' Hatter, who went 9-for-13 on her way to 18 points and five rebounds, and Trinity Jones, who went 7-for-11 to rack up 17 points along with six assists and six boards. The game was Jones' third in a row with at least 16 points.

Meanwhile, Sunnyslope faced Hamilton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Sunnyslope came out on top against Hamilton by a score of 61-50. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.

Desert Vista better keep an eye on Teagan McIlroy. She was instrumental in Sunnyslope's win, putting up 11 points in addition to six assists and five boards. McIlroy has been hot recently, having also posted three or more steals the last three times she's played. Amelia Mickelson was another key player, earning eight points along with seven rebounds and five blocks.

Sunnyslope's win bumped their record up to 19-9. As for Desert Vista, their victory bumped their record up to 15-12.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Desert Vista has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 27.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Sunnyslope struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.9 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Desert Vista was able to grind out a solid win over Sunnyslope in their previous meeting two weeks ago, winning 45-33. Does Desert Vista have another victory up their sleeve, or will Sunnyslope turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.