The Maricopa Rams's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They took a 73-65 hit to the loss column at the hands of Cesar Chavez. Maricopa has not had much luck with the Champions recently, as the team's come up short the last four times they've met.
Despite the defeat, Maricopa had strong showings from Gary Hoxie, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds, and Ruben White, who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time this season that Hoxie scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Nate Barlow, who scored 11 points.
Cesar Chavez got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Gabriel Briones out in front who scored 14 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. Briones hasn't dropped below two steals for seven straight games. Danta Stallworth was another key contributor, scoring 20 points along with two steals.
Maricopa's loss dropped their record down to 3-19. As for Cesar Chavez, the win (which was their 18th in a row) raised their record to 21-2.
Maricopa will head out on the road to challenge the Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. West Point presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Rams in Arizona (the Dragons are ranked 67th, while the Rams are ranked 225th). As for Cesar Chavez, they will be playing in front of their home fans against the Wolverines at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Rico Blassingame and Briones.
