Basketball Recap: Tucson High Magnet School Takes a Loss

Tucson High Magnet School was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were one points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 53-52 heartbreaker at the hands of the Santa Barbara Dons.

Tucson High Magnet School's loss came despite strong showings from Malaki Cunningham-Hiadzi and Tavion Okougbo. Cunningham-Hiadzi went 7 of 11 on his way to 15 points, while Okougbo went 6 of 15 on his way to 13 points and eight rebounds. That's the most points Okougbo has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Branch, who posted five points.

Luke Zuffelato continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Santa Barbara, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 14 rebounds. Zuffelato's afternoon made it 46 games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Carter Battle, who had nine points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks.

Tucson High Magnet School's loss dropped their record down to 9-4. As for Santa Barbara, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 11-3.

Tucson High Magnet School wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 61-49 win against Somerset Academy Losee on the 3rd. As for Santa Barbara, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 73-47 victory against Cesar Chavez on the 3rd.