Arizona College Prep is 0-3 against Poston Butte since January of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. Both teams will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Even though Arizona College Prep has not done well against American Leadership Academy recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Everything went Arizona College Prep's way against American Leadership Academy as Arizona College Prep made off with a 48-27 win. The victory was nothing new for Arizona College Prep as they're now sitting on three straight.
Arizona College Prep's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jaylee Aulds, who scored 18 points along with eight rebounds, and Mariela Navarrete, who scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Warren, who scored six points along with five rebounds.
Poston Butte posted their biggest win yet this season on Friday. They blew past Combs, posting a 53-19 victory on the road. Given Poston Butte's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 88th, while Combs is ranked 209th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Symirah Gray, who scored 23 points along with five assists and four steals. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last eight times she's played. Kyla Boyd was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with five steals.
Arizona College Prep's win bumped their record up to 10-12. As for Poston Butte, they pushed their record up to 15-8 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Arizona College Prep have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 34.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Poston Butte, though, as they've been averaging only 27.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Arizona College Prep couldn't quite finish off Poston Butte when the teams last played last Wednesday and fell 35-32. Can Arizona College Prep avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.