The Buena Colts's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their third straight loss. They took a 39-33 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ironwood Ridge. Buena has not had much luck with Ironwood Ridge recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Buena saw an underclassman step up: Kalel Palacios scored eight points along with three steals and two blocks.
Buena struggled to work together and finished the game with only two assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Ironwood Ridge racked up nine assists.
It was another big night for Molly Walter, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds for Ironwood Ridge. Walter is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last eight games she's played. Jaidyn Saucedo was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Buena dropped their record down to 5-10 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 26.3 points per game. As for Ironwood Ridge, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Buena will take on Nogales at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Nogales focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 12 on Monday. Ironwood Ridge won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Sunnyside at 7:00 p.m. on January 12th. Sunnyside presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Ironwood Ridge in Arizona (Sunnyside is ranked 16th, while Ironwood Ridge is ranked 94th).
