After a string of three wins, the Paradise Honors Panthers's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They took a 52-47 hit to the loss column at the hands of Saguaro. Paradise Honors was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Saguaro apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2022.
Despite the defeat, Paradise Honors saw an underclassman step up: Jocelyn Leal scored 16 points. The match was Leal's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Morgan Van Dyke, who scored 10 points.
Saguaro's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Erica McGadney, who scored 16 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 steals. McGadney hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Alexa Simpson was another key contributor, scoring 16 points along with 8 rebounds and 4 steals.
Paradise Honors' loss dropped their record down to 3-1. As for Saguaro, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 3-1.
Paradise Honors will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Estrella Foothills at 7:00 p.m. Allowing an average of 53 points per game, Estrella Foothills has struggled on the defensive end, but that doesn't have to be the case in this match. As for Saguaro, they will head out on the road to face off against Flagstaff at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arizona (Flagstaff is ranked 27th, while Saguaro is ranked 40th).
