After two games on the road, Eastmark is heading back home. They will take on the Arizona College Prep Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Eastmark pushed their score all the way to 56 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 65-56 to Combs.
Eastmark's defeat came about despite a quality game from Timothy Gorham, who scored 26 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. That was a full 46.4% of Eastmark's points, marking the third time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Burns, who scored 11 points along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Arizona College Prep suffered their closest loss yet this season on Tuesday. They fell just short of Poston Butte by a score of 48-45.
Despite their loss, Arizona College Prep saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Dominik Berumen, who scored eight points, was perhaps the best of all. Asher Perez was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with three steals.
Eastmark's defeat dropped their record down to 14-8. As for Arizona College Prep, their defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 17-7.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Eastmark have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Arizona College Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Eastmark beat Arizona College Prep 66-54 when the teams last played two weeks ago. Will Eastmark repeat their success, or does Arizona College Prep have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
