The Yuma Criminals put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past Kofa with points to spare, taking the game 66-52. Given Yuma's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 82nd, while Kofa is ranked 246th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Yuma got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Andrew Mosqueda out in front who dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds. Those 24 points set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Estevan Moreno, who scored 17 points.
Despite the loss, Kofa still got an impressive performance from Elijah Braveheart, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. Braveheart hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for five straight games. Luis Negrete was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
Yuma pushed their record up to 7-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.5 points per game. As for Kofa, they are on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-9.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Yuma will take on Gila Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Gila Ridge knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matches -- so hopefully Yuma likes a good challenge. As for Kofa, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Independence at 7:00 p.m. Hopefully Independence focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 19 back in December of 2023.
