It was a proper cat-fight when Mesquite challenged Gilbert on Thursday. The Wildcats took a 68-63 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tigers. Surprisingly, this marked the Wildcats' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Mesquite lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Oliver Rogers, who shot 71% from the field on his way to 14 points. Another player making a difference was Crew Jorde, who posted 13 points.
Malachi Jones had another great game (as he tends to do), dropping a double-double with 22 points and 12 boards for Gilbert. The contest was Jones' third in a row with at least 22 points. Champ Naegle also deserves some recognition as he scored his first points of the season.
Mesquite has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Gilbert, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-2.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. Mesquite and Westview will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Wildcats will need to watch out since the Knights have now posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season. Gilbert will take on Cesar Chavez in a holiday battle at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The Tigers will be up against the Champions' rather soft defense (which has allowed 67.86 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
