Basketball Recap: Cactus Comes Up Short

Cactus saw some tournament action on Saturday. They fell just short of the Highland Prep Honey Badgers by a score of 62-60. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Friday (58), the Cobras still had to take the loss.

When it comes to explaining why Cactus lost, don't look at Xavier Ledet. Despite the final result, he posted 20 points along with seven boards and six assists. The contest was Ledet's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Eldin Rizvanovic was another key player, putting up nine points and six rebounds.

Even though they lost, Cactus smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Cactus has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.2 points per game. As for Highland Prep, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season.

Cactus will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Paradise Valley at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025. Paradise Valley knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully Cactus likes a good challenge. Highland Prep also won't see the court for a while: their next game is against Chino Valley at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025. Highland Prep is facing Chino Valley at the right time seeing as Chino Valley is stuck on a five-game losing streak.