Two dominant guards in Rich Knott and Daniel Ortiz are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Tanque Verde Hawks will host the Palo Verde Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Tanque Verde has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Palo Verde will arrive with four straight victories.
It was a Battle of the Birds when Tanque Verde took on Thatcher on Friday. Tanque Verde fell just short of Thatcher by a score of 76-74. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Hawks have suffered since December 20, 2024.
| 01/31/25 vs Thatcher | 2 |
| 01/27/25 @ Pusch Ridge Christian Academy | 2 |
| 01/22/25 vs Sabino | 2 |
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Philip Knott, who went 9 for 16 en route to 24 points. He 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 Enzo Castillo, who went 6 of 11 on his way to 15 points and five boards.
Meanwhile, Palo Verde blew past Catalina, posting an 80-29 win. The Titans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 23 points or more this season.
Palo Verde's win came from a few key players Tanque Verde will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ortiz, who went 7 for 11 en route to 17 points along with six rebounds and five steals. Rashad Ortiz was another key player, going 7 of 12 on his way to 21 points.
Palo Verde smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in nine consecutive matchups.
Tanque Verde's loss dropped their record down to 14-10. As for Palo Verde, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season.
Tanque Verde came up short against Palo Verde when the teams last played back in November of 2024, falling 67-57. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Ortiz, who went 8 for 16 en route to 25 points and six boards. Now that Tanque Verde knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
