The game started off on the right foot for both teams as the score was tied 10-all heading into the second quarter. But as Mesquite got settled and shots began to fall, its transition offense became a challenge for the Hawks to defend as the Wildcats took a 28-20 lead into halftime and never looked back.

Buckeye Union came out in the third quarter more disciplined and created turnovers. The team was able to steadily chip away at the Wildcat lead. With the Wildcats going cold the last four minutes of the period, Mesquite saw its 10-point lead erased as it took a 34-32 lead into the final quarter.

But the fourth quarter played out very strategically for Mesquite and was dominated by free throws.

Mesquite changed things up in the quarter, pulling their offense up the court forcing Buckeye Union to ramp up its defense. And for the Wildcats it worked, especially from the free throw line, as they shot 9-of-10 in the quarter, including 5-of-6 from junior shooting guard Alaya Fitzgerald, who scored 19 points in the game.

“I think our offense kind of ignited our defense. I feel with pulling it out and playing that curl and slice to the hoop until we get into the hole for a layup kind of threw them off a little bit,” Mesquite head coach Candice Gonzales said.

And it did seem to catch the Hawks off-guard as turnovers and missed inside shots ended up making the difference, as Mesquite pulled away during the final stretch of the game securing a 47-38 win on senior night.

“It felt really good because from the beginning we knew that they were going to come in and try and rip our heads off,” Fitzgerald said. “To be able to have that confidence with this win it feels great.”

The Wildcats (17-11, 6-3 Desert Sky Region) will now look to finish up their regular season with back-to-back wins as they will head to Arcadia for a rematch of an earlier 55-29 win for Mesquite a few weeks ago.

While Buckeye Union (18-7, 6-0 Southwest) will look to right the ship against Yuma, who they handled 79-10 in their matchup earlier this season.