It'll be Battle of the Birds when the Empire Ravens take on the Tanque Verde Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday... Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Empire is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against St. Augustine Catholic on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Empire took a blow against St. Augustine Catholic, falling 66-31. The Ravens were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 44-19.
| 01/10/25 vs St. Augustine Catholic | 14 |
| 01/07/25 vs Cholla | 8 |
| 12/21/24 vs Globe | 8 |
| 12/20/24 vs Hayden | 13 |
| 12/20/24 vs Safford | 8 |
Despite their loss, Empire saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Amanda Pacheco, who posted no points in addition to 14 boards and three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Pacheco has been hot, having posted eight or more boards the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Dizzla Velarde, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 12 points.
Even though they lost, Empire smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in eight consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Tanque Verde was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They had to suffer through a 80-5 loss at the hands of Phoenix Christian. The game marked the Hawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Empire's loss dropped their record down to 3-12. As for Tanque Verde, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-9.
Empire came up short against Tanque Verde in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 47-37. Can Empire avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
