Salpointe Catholic is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Mesquite is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Salpointe Catholic Lancers will take on the Mesquite Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Salpointe Catholic knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 17 matches -- so hopefully Mesquite likes a good challenge.
Salpointe Catholic had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They claimed a resounding 61-29 win over Estrella Foothills at home. Salpointe Catholic has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 20 matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Salpointe Catholic's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Taliyah Henderson, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 14 rebounds. Henderson is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 16 or more in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Allison Even, who scored 12 points along with five assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Mesquite faced Flagstaff in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Mesquite snuck past Flagstaff with a 32-26 win on Tuesday. Despite the victory, that was the fewest points Mesquite has scored all year.
Mesquite got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Rebekah Udall out in front who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Udall has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Navae Guidry, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds.
Salpointe Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 26-4 record this season. As for Mesquite, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 26-4.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Salpointe Catholic hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 62.4 points per game. However, it's not like Mesquite struggles in that department as they've been averaging 62 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Salpointe Catholic didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Mesquite in their previous matchup back in February of 2021, but they still walked away with a 53-48 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Mesquite's Alaya Fitzgerald, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Salpointe Catholic to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
