Basketball Game Preview: Gila Ridge Hawks vs. Yuma Criminals

The Gila Ridge Hawks will take on the Yuma Criminals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Gila Ridge is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their match on Friday with ease, bagging a 75-33 victory over Kofa. The win was some much needed relief for the Hawks as it spelled an end to their eight-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Yuma humbled Desert Sunrise with a 78-44 victory. The Criminals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 23 points or more this season.

Yuma's win came from a few key players Gila Ridge will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Elliott Higuera, who posted 23 points. The contest was his third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Nick Amador, who put up 17 points.

Yuma has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.5 points per game. As for Gila Ridge, their victory ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-11.

Gila Ridge took a serious blow against Yuma in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 85-48. Will Gila Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.