Preview: Rincon/University Rangers vs. Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks
The Rincon/University Rangers will head out on the road to face off against the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rincon/University has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Last Tuesday, Rincon/University took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 60-6 victory over Desert View.
Rincon/University relied on the efforts of Sabrina Wexler, who scored 17 points along with 7 assists and 5 steals, and Leila O'Dowd, who scored 26 points along with 6 assists. That makes it nine consecutive games in which O'Dowd has scored at least 25% of Rincon/University's points. Another player making a difference was Arielle Kuwawu, who scored 0 points along with 6 steals.
Meanwhile, Ironwood Ridge was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 43-38 to Pusch Ridge Christian Academy.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jaidyn Saucedo, who scored 11 points along with 3 steals. She scored a full 28.9% of Ironwood Ridge's points, the seventh time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Scarlett Barton, who scored 12 points along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
Rincon/University now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Ironwood Ridge, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Thursday's contest: Rincon/University have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 42.6% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Ironwood Ridge, though, as they've only made 34.4% of theirs this season. Given Rincon/University's sizeable advantage in that area, Ironwood Ridge will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Rincon/University came up short against Ironwood Ridge in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, falling 45-36. Can Rincon/University avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
