Basketball Game Preview: Rincon/University Rangers vs. Marana Tigers

Rincon/University and Marana are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2018, but not for long. The Rincon/University Rangers will welcome the Marana Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Rincon/University's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Marana has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.

Rincon/University will bounce into Friday's match after beating Tucson High Magnet School, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Rincon/University came out on top against Tucson High Magnet School by a score of 62-51 on Tuesday.

Rincon/University found their leader in sophomore Leila O'Dowd, who shot 7-for-9 from beyond the arc and almost dropped a double-double on 38 points and nine boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points O'Dowd has scored all season. Emily Martinez was another key player, putting up five points and four steals.

Rincon/University was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2023.

Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 68-23, which was the final score in Marana's tilt against Sunnyside on Wednesday. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 178th, while the Blue Devils are ranked ninth).

Rincon/University has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.7 points per game. As for Marana, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-12.

Everything came up roses for Rincon/University against Marana when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 71-23 win. Does Rincon/University have another victory up their sleeve, or will Marana turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.