Basketball Game Preview: Highland Hawks vs. Campo Verde Coyotes

The Highland Hawks will square off against the Campo Verde Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Highland got their first taste of in-conference action this week and they started things off strong. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Queen Creek 59-26. The Hawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 24 points or more this season.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Highland to victory, but perhaps none more so than Emilee Searle, who posted 13 points and five rebounds. Searle has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Peyton Jacobsen was another key player, putting up 13 points and seven boards.

Highland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Campo Verde, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They strolled past Arizona College Prep with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 52-38. Given the Coyotes' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Knights are ranked 103rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Highland pushed their record up to 10-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.3 points per game. As for Campo Verde, their victory bumped their record up to 13-4.

Highland came up short against Campo Verde when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 56-44. Can Highland avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.