Previewing AZ’s top games of the week
Girls basketball is officially in full swing in Arizona and with that, it’s time to discuss some of the key match-ups to keep an eye on this week. While some have gotten more games under their belts than others, there’s a number of players and teams showing a ton of improvement from last season. Here are some of the top match-ups across the state taking place between Monday, December 9th and Friday, December13th.
Monday:
Saguaro (4A) vs. St. Mary’s (4A)
The Saguaro Sabercats look to show they are the real deal this year as the team travels to face the St. Mary’s Knights. Saguaro comes into the match with only one loss so far this season to New Mexico’s Kirtland Central High School and It’s been a bit of a rough start for the Knights, who opened up its season on the road against one of the top ranked 4A teams, the Coconino Panthers, dropping a close one. They then went on to face the most dominant 4A program in the last two decades, the Seton Catholic Sentinels, where they lost another one, before following up with a win over Combs.
Tuesday:
Chaparral (5A) vs. Basha (6A)
Chaparral is continuing to challenge itself with the 2019 schedule, and the game against Basha is no different. Facing a team in a conference above yours is always a challenge, but the Firebirds aren’t one to shy away. Despite a 3-3 record, the Firebirds will show you what all the hype is about surrounding the team. Meanwhile, Basha will come into the game with a pair of losses, one to Desert Vista and one to Mountain Pointe, but a handful of other wins.
Salpointe Catholic (4A) vs. Buena (5A)
Salpointe Catholic is another school that never shies away from a challenge. This week, the Lancers are looking to continue showing why they’re among the elite places for athletes in the Tucson area when they host the Buena Colts, who are a conference above them. Both Salpointe Catholic and Buena only have one loss on the season going into this game, but Salpointe Catholic has played in more games so far this season.
Williams Field (5A) vs. Raymond S. Kellis (5A)
The Williams Field Black Hawks are looking to show how much they’ve improved from last season as the season continues to progress. Last year, the Black Hawks went 15-12, but they’re already off to a much better start this year with only one loss so far this year to Willow Canyon that was decided by three points. Prior to the Black Hawks’ game against Kellis, they’ll first have to face Agua Fria on Monday. Raymond S. Kellis will be coming in to the game off its first loss against Cactus last Friday, and if anything, it should motivate them to play harder. At 7-1, they’ve managed to shut down their opponents’ offense almost entirely in nearly every game. The biggest statement was holding Tucson’s Desert View to just two points in the entire game.
Seton Catholic (4A) vs. Shadow Mountain (4A)
A repeat of this year’s 4A State Championship, this will be a game you won’t want to miss. Both teams come into this game undefeated and will bring a lot of skill to the court. Seton Catholic has only played in three games so far this season, but all three of them have been dominant wins. The team is lead by a group of sophomores and juniors, but despite having no seniors on the roster, there’s a high level of basketball IQ among them. With eight games, Shadow Mountain has faced a tougher test against schools that are also in bigger conferences. The closest game for the Matadors was against the 6A North High School Mustangs, where they still won by 12. Both teams like to play up close, in-your-face defense the entire game and have the cardio to do so. Expect this to be the most exciting game of the week by far.
Thursday:
Highland (6A) vs. Sandra Day O’Connor (6A)
Highland’s final game before playing in the Nike Tournament of Champions will be on Thursday against Sandra Day O’Connor. Highland showed some areas where improvements were needed when the season first got underway at the Minor Webster tournament, but have had some time to work on things since then. Meanwhile for O’Connor, it will be among their first big tests so far this season. The only other team O’Connor has faced that’s done decent this year is Xavier, but it is not anywhere close to the same Xavier team that played in the 6A State Championship game last year. Expect this game to be a close one.
Mesquite (4A) vs. Moon Valley (4A)
Both Mesquite and Moon Valley have faced tougher challenges earlier in the year, playing schools in the 5A and 6A conferences, but when it comes to playing other schools in the 4A conference, they’ve looked pretty good so far. This will likely be the first true test for both the Wildcats and the Rockets to see how they’ll likely do as the rest of the season starts to take shape.
Friday:
Chandler (6A) vs. Tucson (6A)
Chandler will be making the trip down I-10 to play the Tucson Badgers on Friday. Tucson has four losses to schools from California and Colorado, but despite those losses, the team can still say they learned and continued to grow overall. For Chandler, they’re looking to capitalize on the dominant start to the season. The wolves will be looking to show why they are a dark horse contender to win the 6A Premier region this year.