Basketball Game Preview: Sahuarita Mustangs vs. Cienega Bobcats

The Sahuarita Mustangs will square off against the Cienega Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Sahuarita is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Rincon/University just ended the team's three-game winning streak back in December of 2024. They fell 67-58 to the Rangers.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Thomas Naylor, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten rebounds. Those 17 points gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ruben Villalba, who went 5 of 11 en route to 16 points.

Meanwhile, Cienega faced Prescott in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. 2025 welcomed Cienega with an 82-59 loss courtesy of Prescott. The Bobcats' defeat continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.

Sahuarita will have to contain Thomas Noyes as he made an impact in Cienega's last game. He went 8 of 9 on his way to 21 points. Noyes is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for five straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabe Buksh, who posted ten points.

Cienega's loss dropped their record down to 8-5. As for Sahuarita, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sahuarita has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Cienega struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Sahuarita was dealt a bruising 60-30 loss at the hands of Cienega in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can Sahuarita avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.