Basketball Game Preview: Mogollon Mustangs vs. Thatcher Eagles

After both having extra time off, the Mogollon Mustangs and the Thatcher Eagles will shake off the cobwebs and face off against one another at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Thatcher took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Mogollon, who comes in off a win.

Two weeks ago, everything went Mogollon's way against Ash Fork as Mogollon made off with a 59-35 victory. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four matchups by 24 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Thatcher scored the most points they've had this season last Saturday, but it wasn't enough. They fell just short of Tanque Verde by a score of 75-72. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Mogollon will have to contain Isaac Palmer as he made an impact in Thatcher's last game. He dropped a double-double on 28 points and 15 boards. Those 15 boards gave Palmer a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Chad Johnson, who posted 15 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Thatcher smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Mogollon's win bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Thatcher, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-4.

Mogollon opened the new year with a less-than-successful 60-48 loss to Thatcher. Thankfully for Mogollon, Christian Carter (who went 6 of 11 on his way to 16 points in addition to five assists and four steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.