Basketball Game Preview: Saguaro Sabercats vs. Marcos de Niza Padres

The Saguaro Sabercats will take on the Marcos de Niza Padres at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Saguaro's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups.

Saguaro is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering St. Mary's just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost to the Knights at home by a 81-66 margin.

Meanwhile, Marcos de Niza was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell 63-55 to Mesquite. While the Padres didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wildcats 16-9 in the first quarter.

Saguaro will have to contain James Steward as he made an impact in Marcos de Niza's last game. He dropped a double-double on 26 points and 20 rebounds. The contest was Steward's ninth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Drew Dana, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 16 points.

Marcos de Niza's defeat dropped their record down to 14-11. As for Saguaro, their loss dropped their record down to 15-7.

Saguaro strolled past Marcos de Niza when the teams last played two weeks ago by a score of 87-68. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Steward, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 19 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Saguaro still be able to contain Steward? There's only one way to find out.