The Youngker Roughriders pushed their score all the way to 59 on Tuesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. Their tough 85-59 loss to Buckeye might stick with them for a while. Youngker just can't catch a break and has now endured three losses in a row.
Several Roughriders players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Ares Chambers, who scored 17 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Chambers hasn't dropped below two steals for eight straight games. Another player making a difference was Xavier Hargrove, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Buckeye got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Isaiah Leyva out in front who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 assists. It was the first time this season that Leyva posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Darius Haskin, who scored 22 points along with two steals.
Youngker's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Buckeye, the win (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 13-10.
Youngker will look to defend their home court on Thursday against the Patriots at 7:00 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Arizona (Independence is ranked 211th, while the Roughriders are ranked 209th). As for Buckeye, they will head out on the road to square off against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Glendale is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
