The Tempe Buffaloes suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Wednesday. They were beaten by Dysart 77-43. While losing is never fun, Tempe can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 231st, while Dysart is ranked 44th).
When it comes to explaining why Tempe lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jacob Anau. Despite the final result, he scored 14 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Anau has scored all season. Arthur Murphy was another key contributor, scoring six points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Dysart's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Nate Morales, who scored 19 points along with four steals. Another player making a difference was Nigel Anderson, who scored 13 points along with six assists and five rebounds.
Tempe bumped their record down to 7-11 with that loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Dysart, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 14-3.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Tempe won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Cortez at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th. One thing working in Cortez's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last three contests. Dysart won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Apache Junction at 7:00 p.m. on January 11th. Hopefully Apache Junction focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 18 on Wednesday.
