The Ash Fork Spartans are taking a road trip to take on the Red Mesa Redskins at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Ash Fork is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak.
On Friday, Ash Fork came up short against Grand Canyon and fell 45-36.
Ash Fork's defeat came about despite a quality game from Miclo Ayala, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards. Ayala continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Jhovanny Vazquez was another key player, putting up eight points and eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Ash Fork smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive boards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Red Mesa hadn't done well against Rock Point recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Red Mesa came out on top against Rock Point by a score of 62-51. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Redskins.
Red Mesa's win came from a few key players Ash Fork will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jonah Herbert, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jovun Paul, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten steals.
The win got Red Mesa back to even at 12-12. As for Ash Fork, their loss dropped their record down to 5-15.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Ash Fork has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Red Mesa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Ash Fork came out on top in a nail-biter against Red Mesa in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, sneaking past 39-37. Does Ash Fork have another victory up their sleeve, or will Red Mesa turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
