The Coolidge Bears will square off against the Palo Verde Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Coolidge beat Apache Junction 47-40. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 66th, while the Prospectors are ranked 247th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Coolidge's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Preston Dees, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 16 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Porter Dees, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds.
Coolidge smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January of 2024.
Meanwhile, Palo Verde posted their closest victory since December 23, 2023 back in December of 2024. It was close, but they ultimately received the gift of a 56-53 win from a begrudging Titans squad.
Palo Verde's win came from a few key players Coolidge will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rashad Ortiz, who went 7 of 12 on his way to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Graves, who went 5 of 6 on his way to 10 points and seven rebounds.
Palo Verde's victory bumped their record up to 10-3. As for Coolidge, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
