Basketball Game Preview: Yuma Criminals vs. Tempe Buffaloes

The Yuma Criminals will challenge the Tempe Buffaloes at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Yuma is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 66.9 points per game this season.

Yuma is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Dysart just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They lost 71-50 to the Demons.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Andy Mosqueda, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. His evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Nick Amador was another key player, going 6 of 12 on his way to 16 points in addition to six boards and five assists.

Meanwhile, Tempe was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 58-52 heartbreaker at the hands of Coronado.

Like Tempe, they lost despite seeing results from several players. Damon Broadnax led the charge by putting up 14 points and six rebounds. Broadnax is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Sa?Veon Mccrimon, who posted 11 points and five steals.

Yuma's loss dropped their record down to 9-6. As for Tempe, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-14.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Yuma has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 33.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Tempe struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Yuma didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Tempe in their previous meeting last Friday, but they still walked away with a 71-65 win. Does Yuma have another victory up their sleeve, or will Tempe turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.