Ash Fork was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They took a 45-36 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Grand Canyon Phantoms. The Spartans were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Phantoms apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in January of 2024.
| 01/31/25 @ Grand Canyon | 13 |
| 01/11/25 @ Mogollon | 11 |
| 01/08/25 vs Music Mountain | 11 |
| 12/16/24 vs Mogollon | 10 |
| 12/21/24 vs Fredonia | 10 |
When it comes to explaining why Ash Fork lost, don't look at Miclo Ayala. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards. The dominant performance gave Ayala a new career-high in points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jhovanny Vazquez, who posted eight points and eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Ash Fork smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive board total in three consecutive matchups.
Grand Canyon got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Mase Begay out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine boards. Tristan Lambon was another key player, putting up ten points and five steals.
Ash Fork's defeat dropped their record down to 5-15. As for Grand Canyon, the win made it two in a row for them and also bumps their season record up to 5-15.
Ash Fork didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 61-50 loss against Red Mesa on the 1st. Grand Canyon has also already played their next game, a 96-61 defeat against Seligman on the 4th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
