The Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 26) but on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Mountain View 55-52. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Ironwood Ridge has posted since December 7, 2023.
Ironwood Ridge got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Myla Elslager out in front who scored 21 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Elslager has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Molly Walter, who scored 16 points.
Holly McLemore and Kayla Carter certainly did their best on Thursday to try and avoid the loss. McLemore scored 19 points along with seven rebounds and four steals, while Carter dropped a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds. Carter hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for five straight games. Another player making a difference was Hunter Don, who scored nine points.
Even though they lost, Mountain View smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ironwood Ridge only pulled down two offensive rebounds.
Ironwood Ridge has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. As for Mountain View, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 8-10.
Ironwood Ridge will look to defend their home court on Monday against Catalina Foothills at 7:00 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (Catalina Foothills is ranked 73rd, while Ironwood Ridge is ranked 91st). As for Mountain View, they will head out on the road to square off against Cholla at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Cholla is out to stop a six-game streak of losses at home.
