Basketball Game Preview: Gilbert Tigers vs. Highland Hawks

The Gilbert Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the Highland Hawks at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Gilbert will be looking to extend their current 12-game winning streak.

Last Tuesday, Gilbert earned a 61-49 victory over Higley. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Knights are ranked 50th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Highland on Tuesday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Desert Ridge out of the water with a 74-36 final score. The Hawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight matches by 24 points or more this season.

Highland found their leader in sophomore Bailey Williams, who went 9-for-16 on her way to 23 points along with six boards and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Williams has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Peyton Jacobsen, who went 7-for-13 en route to 18 points.

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

Gilbert pushed their record up to 19-6 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points over those games. As for Highland, they now have a winning record of 13-12.

Everything came up roses for Gilbert against Highland in their previous matchup back in January, as the team secured a 67-38 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gilbert since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.