TUCSON - The Tucson Sugar Skulls lost for the fourth time in their last five home games on Saturday night at Tucson Arena, in a back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change six times.

The Sugar Skulls led by 13 points in the second quarter, but ultimately could not stop Bay Area when it mattered most, and the Panthers retained their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference.

With Northern Arizona's loss to Duke City, a Sugar Skulls win would've given them sole possession of first place in the conference, but instead, Tucson sinks back down to .500, at 4-4 on the season.
  
Key Performers 

Mike Jones - 12 rushes, 70 yards, 3 rushing TD
Ramone Atkins - 6/14, 75 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 70 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD
Benjamin Jones - 2 rushes, 20 yards, 3 kick returns, 42 yards, 1 reception, 10 yards
Carrington Thompson - 2 receptions, 46 yards, 1 touchdown
Maurice Jackson - 3 tackles (3 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Traivon Bryant - 7 total tackles 
Dominion Ezinwa - 2.5 total tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 safety 

1st Half

Tucson came out swinging, with Mike Jones pounding the ball into the end zone on the Sugar Skulls' first drive from 4 yards out. On the first play of the ensuing Bay Area drive, however, quarterback Dalton Sneed found Nih-jer Jackson for a 34-yard touchdown to tie the score, 7-7.

Ramone Atkins threw an interception on the first play of the next Sugar Skulls drive, and the Panthers quickly created points off the turnover, as Bay Area running back Justin Rankin scored on a 14-yard touchdown run moments later. 

Trailing 14-7, the Sugar Skulls took control of the game on a 10-play, 45-yard drive which ended on a 4-yard touchdown run from Atkins to even the score at 14-14. 

A Bay Area field goal on their next drive put the Panthers back ahead, but the Sugar Skulls responded by erupting for 16 straight points on a 37-yard touchdown reception by Carrington Thompson, a safety by defensive lineman Dominion Ezinwa, and a 2-yard touchdown run by Mike Jones. 

With 1:06 to play in the first half, Jackson caught his second touchdown of the game from Sneed, and Bay Area pulled to within six points, trailing 30-24 at the half. 

2nd Half

The Sugar Skulls defense stiffened coming out of halftime, stopping the Panthers first drive of the third quarter. However, early into the following Tucson possession, Atkins threw his second interception of the game, and Bay Area capitalized five plays later on a 1-yard touchdown run by Rankin, and the Panthers had the lead back, 31-30. 

On the Sugar Skulls' next drive, Benjamin Jones broke free for an 18-yard run, and on the following play, Mike Jones crossed the goal line from 7 yards out, and Tucson once again was in the lead, 36-31. 

The Sugar Skulls' defense finally broke in the fourth quarter, however, as Bay Area scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions to take a 44-36 lead. 

Tucson got the ball back with 7:06 to play, needing a touchdown and two points to tie, and they navigated their way down the field, with Atkins eventually scoring on a 3-yard touchdown plunge after an 8-play, 36-yard drive. However, the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sugar Skulls still trailed, 44-42, with 1:19 to play. 

The Sugar Skulls were unable to convert a deuce, and Bay Area got the ball back, with Dalton Sneed sealing the game with a five-yard rush on 2nd-and-4 to pick up the first down. Panthers offensive coordinator, Dixie Wooten, the Sugar Skulls' previous head coach during the 2021-2022 seasons, was victorious in his return to Tucson.  

Up Next?

Next week the Sugar Skulls travel to Henderson, Nevada, for a matchup with the 4-5 Vegas Knight Hawks. Tucson defeated Vegas in their only other two meetings, both coming last season. The Sugar Skulls opened their 2022 schedule in Vegas at the Dollar Loan Center with a 48-39 victory, and then defeated the Knight Hawks at the Boneyard 39-32 on June 18th. 

Following the Arizona Rattlers' 63-39 victory over the Knight Hawks, Tucson currently occupies fourth place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind Bay Area. 

The Sugar Skulls will return home on Saturday, June 10th to face the Duke City Gladiators at 6:05 pm. Tucson is 3-0 all-time vs. Duke City at Tucson Arena.