The Empire Ravens entered their tilt with the Thatcher Eagles with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Empire snuck past Thatcher with a 60-56 win on Friday. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Empire's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Khari Gurley, who scored 12 points. Deshawn Washington was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Several Eagles players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Chad Johnson, who scored 15 points. Another player making a difference was Christian Carter, who scored 13 points.
Empire's win bumped their record up to 16-10. As for Thatcher, their loss dropped their record down to 15-7.
Empire will head out on the road to face off against Willcox at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Empire knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past six contests -- so hopefully Willcox likes a good challenge. As for Thatcher, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Alchesay at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Thatcher's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last six contests.
