The Gilbert Tigers and the O'Connor Eagles will face off at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday without much rest having both just played. Gilbert is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.6 points per game this season.
Gilbert saw some tournament action on Wednesday. They fell 61-53 to St. Mary's. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Tigers came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 12th in Arizona, while the Rams are ranked 63rd in California).
Despite their defeat, Gilbert saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tylaiah Wily, who went 6 for 12 on her way to 16 points in addition to six boards and five assists, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Aspen McClees, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Gilbert smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in November of 2023.
Meanwhile, O'Connor also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to Westview by a score of 41-33. The game marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
O'Connor has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-5 record this season. As for Gilbert, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.
Gilbert barely slipped by O'Connor when the teams last played back in February of 2023, winning 51-50. Will Gilbert repeat their success, or does O'Connor have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
