Basketball Game Preview: Moon Valley Rockets vs. Desert Sunrise Golden Hawks + Official Tickets

The Moon Valley Rockets and the Desert Sunrise Golden Hawks will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Moon Valley has given up an average of 57 points per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Monday, Moon Valley was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 66-61 to Marcos de Niza. The Rockets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Desert Sunrise ended up a good deal behind Goldwater on Tuesday and lost 68-53. While losing is never fun, the Golden Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 204th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 74th).

Despite the loss, Desert Sunrise saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Cory Yateman posted 20 points. Yateman continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Kyjaun McCucheon, who earned ten points.

Moon Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Desert Sunrise, their loss dropped their record down to 3-8.

Moon Valley didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Desert Sunrise in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 54-50 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Golden Hawks' Zamari McCoy Denton, who scored 27 points. Now that he won't be playing on Wednesday, will it be easier for the Rockets to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.