Basketball Recap: Ironwood Beats Sunrise Mountain for Their Sixth Straight Victory

Eagles

Previous 6 Games

01/23/25 @ Sunrise Mountain	69-60
01/21/25 @ Centennial	74-43
01/17/25 @ Lake Havasu	85-40
01/15/25 @ Arizona College Prep	77-39
01/09/25 vs Kellis	95-52
01/08/25 @ Notre Dame Prep	74-54

Ironwood had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 35.4 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They came out on top against the Sunrise Mountain Mustangs by a score of 69-60. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 12th, while the Mustangs are ranked 123rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ironwood's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josh Dillard, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten boards. Dillard has been hot recently, having posted ten or more rebounds the last four times he's played. Carsyn Dean was another key player, putting up 13 points.

Ironwood smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sunrise Mountain only pulled down four offensive boards.

Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Trey Hill, who went 7 of 13 on his way to 18 points. Marcus Murray also deserves some recognition as he posted his first block of the season.

Ironwood pushed their record up to 14-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.8 points per game. As for Sunrise Mountain, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-12 record this season.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Ironwood will take on Willow Canyon at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Willow Canyon will roll in looking for their fifth straight win, something Ironwood surely won't give up without a fight. As for Sunrise Mountain, they will challenge Lake Havasu at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.