Saguaro is 1-9 against Mesquite since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Saguaro Sabercats will head out on the road to challenge the Mesquite Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Saguaro has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
In what's become a running theme this season, Saguaro gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They blew past Arcadia, posting a 81-47 win on the road. Given Saguaro's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 61st, while Arcadia is ranked 201st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Saguaro's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Alexa Simpson led the charge by scoring 22 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Marley Jackson, who went 6 for 13 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points and 3 assists.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Mesquite's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 35-34 to Seton Catholic. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Mesquite has scored all season.
Despite their loss, Mesquite saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Navae Guidry, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of kahlia Gonzales, who scored ten points.
Mesquite struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Saguaro's victory bumped their record up to 10-7. As for Mesquite, their defeat ended a nine-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 16-3.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Saguaro have been dynamite from deep this season, having drained 38% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Mesquite struggles in that department as they've made 43.1% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Saguaro ended up a good deal behind Mesquite when the teams last played back in February of 2023, losing 59-44. Can Saguaro avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
