The Red Mesa Redskins lost to the Hopi Bruins back in December of 2022, but the Red Mesa Redskins didn't allow the Hopi Bruins the same satisfaction on Thursday. Red Mesa snuck past Hopi with a 49-44 victory. That's two games straight that Red Mesa has won by exactly five points.
Red Mesa's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Nizhoni Hatalie, who scored nine points along with eight rebounds and three steals. That's the first time this season that Hatalie pulled down eight or more rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Shyla Pipkin, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 17 rebounds.
Red Mesa has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. As for Hopi, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Red Mesa won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Music Mountain at 3:00 p.m. on December 15th. Music Mountain is coming into the matchup on a six-game losing streak. Hopi will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Pinon at 6:00 p.m. on January 4, 2024.
