Basketball Game Preview: Marcos de Niza Padres vs. St. Mary's Knights

Marcos de Niza is 0-7 against St. Mary since January of 2017 but things could change on Tuesday. The Marcos de Niza Padres will challenge the St. Mary's Knights at 5:30 p.m. Marcos de Niza has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Last Friday, Marcos de Niza was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 35-30 to Arcadia.

Abigail Cooper

Points

01/24/25 vs Arcadia	14
11/26/24 vs Camelback	15
12/06/24 @ Moon Valley	13
12/12/24 @ Cortez	10
12/09/24 vs Desert Sunrise	9

Despite the loss, Marcos de Niza saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Abigail Cooper posted 14 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. That's the most points Cooper has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Nailani Joe, who put up three points and five steals.

Even though they lost, Marcos de Niza smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask St. Mary's). They secured a 65-59 W over Saguaro on Friday.

Marcos de Niza better focus on containing Sophia Bryant and Gwen Carter as the pair were huge in St. Mary's win. Bryant had 18 points, while Carter scored 16 points. Carter's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. Ava Sierras was another key player, putting up eight points.

Marcos de Niza's defeat dropped their record down to 4-16. As for St. Mary's, their win bumped their record up to 5-9.

Marcos de Niza was taken down by St. Mary's 59-24 when the teams last played on January 7th. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Carter, who went 10 for 19 en route to 26 points along with eight steals and five boards. Now that Marcos de Niza knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.