Basketball Recap: Cortez Victorious

Cortez won the last time they faced Marcos de Niza and things went their way on Thursday too. The Cortez Colts escaped with a win against the Marcos de Niza Padres by the margin of a single free throw, 57-56. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Colts.

Cortez's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Semaj Wilson, who posted four points in addition to 20 steals and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Nygel Lindsey, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Colts

Previous 2 Games

12/12/24 @ Marcos de Niza	57-56
12/11/24 vs Shadow Mountain	71-39

Cortez smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 19 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Despite the loss, Marcos de Niza still got an impressive performance from James Steward, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 20 rebounds. Steward has been hot for a while, having posted 11 or more boards the last 11 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jeidarion Richard, who went 6 of 12 on his way to 14 points.

Cortez now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Marcos de Niza, with the defeat, they broke their seven-game winning streak and moved their record to 8-2.

Coincidentally, both will both be playing Glendale the next time they take the court. Marcos de Niza will host Glendale at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, while Cortez will head out to face them at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.