Desert Pines has played every game this season on their home court, but they'll have to hit the road on Tuesday. They will take on the Palo Verde Panthers at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Saturday, Desert Pines humbled Cheyenne with a 63-7 victory. Given Desert Pines' advantage in MaxPreps' Nevada basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while Cheyenne is ranked 69th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Trista Mabry had an outrageously good game as she dropped a triple-double on 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Trinity Tyrell, who scored 14 points along with 5 steals.
Meanwhile, Palo Verde had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 54.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 44-23 margin over Mater Academy East Las Vegas.
Desert Pines pushed their record up to 3-0 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points per game. As for Palo Verde, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Desert Pines have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Palo Verde struggles in that department as they've been averaging 14 per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Desert Pines beat Palo Verde 49-39 when the teams last played back in February. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Palo Verde's Halle McKnight, who scored 16 points along with 6 steals. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be that much easier for Desert Pines to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
