Having just played yesterday, the Gila Ridge Hawks will get right back to it and host the Desert Ridge Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on February 8th.
On Wednesday, things could have been worse for Gila Ridge, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 58-43 loss to Cibola. Gila Ridge has struggled against Cibola recently, as their matchup on Wednesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Even though Desert Ridge has not done well against Corona del Sol recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Desert Ridge came out on top in a nail-biter against Corona del Sol and snuck past 71-69. The victory was all the more spectacular given Desert Ridge's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 130th, while Corona del Sol is ranked 50th).
Payton Lapping was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Angelo Jones, who scored ten points along with three steals.
Gila Ridge's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 8-17. As for Desert Ridge, their win bumped their record up to 9-16.
Gila Ridge took a serious blow against Desert Ridge in their previous meeting back in February of 2023, falling 77-46. The match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Gila Ridge was down 48-24.