After six games on the road, Ironwood Ridge is heading back home. They will take on the Rincon/University Rangers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Ironwood Ridge focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 19 on Tuesday.
Last Tuesday, Ironwood Ridge was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 43-38 to Pusch Ridge Christian Academy.
Despite their loss, Ironwood Ridge saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jaidyn Saucedo, who scored 11 points along with 3 steals, was perhaps the best of all. Saucedo scored a full 28.9% of Ironwood Ridge's points, the seventh time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Scarlett Barton, who scored 12 points along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
Meanwhile, Rincon/University humbled Desert View with a 60-6 victory. The win made it back-to-back wins for Rincon/University.
Rincon/University's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Sabrina Wexler, who scored 17 points along with 7 assists and 5 steals, and Leila O'Dowd, who scored 26 points along with 6 assists. The game was O'Dowd's ninth in a row with at least ten points. Arielle Kuwawu was another key contributor, scoring 0 points along with 6 steals.
Ironwood Ridge has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-5 record this season. As for Rincon/University, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Thursday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Ironwood Ridge have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 34.4% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Rincon/University struggles in that department as they've made 42.6% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
Ironwood Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Rincon/University in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, winning 45-36. Will Ironwood Ridge repeat their success, or does Rincon/University have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
