The Empire Ravens's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They took a 75-67 hit to the loss column at the hands of Safford. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Empire in their matchups with Safford: they've now lost four in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Empire lost, one person who can't be blamed is Deshawn Washington. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 32 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Washington has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tre Perkins, who scored 17 points along with five assists.
Empire bumped their record down to 13-9 with that defeat, which was their third straight on the road. As for Safford, their victory bumped their record up to 14-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Empire will face off against Tanque Verde at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (Tanque Verde is ranked 182nd, while Empire is ranked 163rd). As for Safford, they will head out on the road to challenge Catalina at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Catalina has now lost eight straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since November 30.
