Sahuaro has gone 8-2 against Ironwood Ridge recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Sahuaro Cougars are taking a road trip to square off against the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks at 7:00 p.m. Sahuaro will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Sahuaro beat Walden Grove 66-62. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 12th, while the Red Wolves are ranked 161st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/17/25 vs Walden Grove | 11 |
| 02/21/24 vs Paradise Honors | 10 |
| 12/20/24 vs Arizona College Prep | 10 |
| 01/25/24 @ Flowing Wells | 10 |
| 12/11/23 vs ALA - Queen Creek | 9 |
Cisco Llamas was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 21 points and 11 steals. Those 11 steals gave him a new career-high. Isaac Teasley was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Meanwhile, Ironwood Ridge unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. The game between them and Salpointe Catholic didn't end well, with Ironwood Ridge falling 62-47.
Sahuaro will have to keep a close watch on Carter Brown and Kyle Ray, a pair of players who had a big impact on Ironwood Ridge's prior game. Brown posted 15 points and four steals, while Ray scored nine points. Brown is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played.
Sahuaro's win was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.9 points per game. As for Ironwood Ridge, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sahuaro has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ironwood Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.6 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Sahuaro against Ironwood Ridge in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 67-39 victory. Does Sahuaro have another victory up their sleeve, or will Ironwood Ridge turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
