Palo Verde has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Florence Gophers at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Palo Verde knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matches -- so hopefully Florence likes a good challenge.
Last Wednesday, Palo Verde didn't have too much trouble with San Tan Foothills at home as they won 60-45.
Daniel Ortiz was his usual excellent self, scoring 24 points along with eight rebounds and six steals. Another player making a difference was Adrain Powers, who scored eight points along with 11 rebounds.
Florence won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Wednesday. They were outmatched by Valley Christian on the road and fell 93-51. Florence was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 65-25.
Despite the defeat, Florence got a solid performance out of Logan Stenson, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds. Stenson has been hot recently, having posted three or more steals the last 12 times he's played. Anthony Bradeen was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.
Palo Verde's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-6. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.3 points per game. As for Florence, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-11.
Palo Verde didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Florence in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 60-56 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Palo Verde since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
