Basketball Recap: Highland Falls Despite Big Games from Tyson Cutchen and Ty Crandall

Highland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 59-53 heartbreaker at the hands of the Mojave Rattlers. While losing is never fun, the Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 68th in Arizona, while the Rattlers are ranked fourth in Nevada).

Highland's loss came despite strong showings from Ty Crandall and Tyson Cutchen. Crandall went 8 of 11 on his way to 20 points and six rebounds, while Cutchen almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten boards. That's the most points Crandall has posted since back in February of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Johnson, who posted nine points.

Mojave's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was C.J. Shaw, who went 8 of 14 on his way to 19 points along with seven boards and five assists. Shaw has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 37 times he's played. Curtis Coleman was another key player, going 5 of 7 on his way to 13 points and three steals.

Highland's loss dropped their record down to 5-7. As for Mojave, they moved to 9-5 with that victory, which also ended their four-game losing streak.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Highland will host Mesa at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Highland is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 59.3 points per game this season. As for Mojave, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Desert Pines at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mojave knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 14 games -- so hopefully Desert Pines likes a good challenge.