Cortez is 0-10 against Dysart since January of 2019 but things could change on Tuesday. The Cortez Colts will venture away from home to face off against the Dysart Demons at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Cortez comes in on four and Dysart on 11.
Cortez took a 38-point loss the last time they faced off against Washington, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Cortez sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 74-72 win over Washington on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Colts have posted since December 18, 2024.
Kaden Ramirez
| 02/06/25 @ Washington | 17 |
| 01/15/25 vs Desert Sunrise | 15 |
| 01/23/24 vs Vista Grande | 14 |
| 01/28/25 @ Coronado | 11 |
| 01/18/24 vs Apache Junction | 9 |
Cortez's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kaden Ramirez led the charge by going 7 for 10 en route to 17 points and four steals. The dominant performance gave Ramirez a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Nygel Lindsey, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 17 boards.
Cortez smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Dysart was fully in charge on Thursday, breezing past Coronado 84-34. The Demons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 games by 21 points or more this season.
Cortez better keep an eye on Santiago Leyva. He was instrumental in Dysart's win, dropping a double-double on 29 points and 17 rebounds. Leyva has been hot recently, having posted eight or more boards the last three times he's played. Lamar Anderson was another key player, going 7 of 13 to rack up 18 points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks.
Cortez's win was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-3. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.2 points over those games. As for Dysart, their record now sits at 20-4.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's contest: Cortez has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 34.1% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Dysart, though, as they've only made 26.7% of their three-pointers this season. Given Cortez's sizable advantage in that area, Dysart will need to find a way to close that gap.
Cortez suffered a grim 62-37 defeat to Dysart when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can Cortez avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
