The Rincon/University Rangers will be home for the holidays to greet the Catalina Foothills Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rincon/University is out to stop a five-game streak of losses at home dating back to last season.
Last Monday, it was a hard-fought game, but Rincon/University had to settle for a 46-43 defeat against Mountain View.
Despite their loss, Rincon/University saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Leila O'Dowd, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. O'Dowd scored a full 37.2% of Rincon/University's points, the 11th time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Sabrina Wexler, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Catalina Foothills suffered a tough 68-45 defeat at the hands of Sunnyside on Monday. While losing is never fun, Catalina Foothills can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while Sunnyside is ranked 18th).
Despite their defeat, Catalina Foothills saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sophia Dodd, who scored six points along with ten rebounds and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Those ten rebounds set a new season-high mark for her. Another player making a difference was Kayanna Chief, who scored 13 points.
Rincon/University now has a losing record at 5-6. As for Catalina Foothills, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.
Friday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Rincon/University have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 24.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Catalina Foothills, though, as they've been averaging only 31.4 rebounds per game. Given Rincon/University's sizeable advantage in that area, Catalina Foothills will need to find a way to close that gap.
Rincon/University ended up a good deal behind Catalina Foothills in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, losing 58-39. Will Rincon/University have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
