Sahuaro was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They lost to the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks at home by a 52-38 margin. The Cougars were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Nighthawks earlier this season, when they won 44-40.
Layla O'Rourke-Slone
| 01/30/26 @ Cienega | 16 |
| 01/16/26 vs Walden Grove | 16 |
| 01/08/26 vs Tucson High Magnet School | 16 |
| 01/13/26 @ Rincon/University | 13 |
| 11/26/25 vs Walden Grove | 13 |
| + 19 more games |
Sahuaro's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Layla O'Rourke-Slone, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds. The Cougars are 9-4 when O'Rourke-Slone posts ten or more boards, but 5-6 otherwise. Jordynn Chavis was another key player, putting up 11 points and three blocks.
Ironwood Ridge was led to victory by Myla Elslager and Serenity Hampton. Elslager dropped a double-double with 23 points and ten rebounds, while Hampton dropped a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards. Hampton's big performance that evening made it ten games in a row in which she has scored at least 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Hana Mahmood, who posted six points.
Sahuaro's defeat dropped their record down to 14-10. As for Ironwood Ridge, their record is now 11-13.
Looking ahead, Sahuaro won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Salpointe Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Lancers will roll in looking for their seventh straight victory, something the Cougars surely won't give up without a fight. As for Ironwood Ridge, they also won't have to wait long for more action: they'll face off against Mica Mountain at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Nighthawks' defense better be ready for this one: the Thunderbolts have averaged an impressive 53.8 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
