Basketball Game Preview: Sunrise Mountain Mustangs vs. Willow Canyon Wildcats

The Sunrise Mountain Mustangs will square off against the Willow Canyon Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Last Friday, Sunrise Mountain earned an 84-71 victory over Centennial.

Sunrise Mountain got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Caden Hammond out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. Those 25 points gave Hammond a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Marcus Murray, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten assists.

Meanwhile, Willow Canyon waltzed into their contest on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 75-57 victory over the Cougars. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 29th, while the Cougars are ranked 144th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Willow Canyon pushed their record up to 17-2 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 33.7 points. As for Sunrise Mountain, their victory bumped their record up to 7-10.

Sunrise Mountain lost to Willow Canyon at home by a decisive 70-55 margin in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Can Sunrise Mountain avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.