El equipo de baloncesto masculino Madera Coyotes usó una primera mitad de tiros encendidos para tomar una ventaja temprana en una victoria sobre los Chowchilla Tribe en el tercer día del Madera South Classic.
Los Coyotes anotaron 41 puntos en la primera mitad y abrieron una ventaja de 26 puntos en el cuarto período para una victoria de 67-49.
“Los primeros tres cuartos, movimos el balón extremadamente bien”, dijo el entrenador David Lozano. “Confiaron el uno en el otro. En el cuarto cuarto, como que nos relajamos y jugamos con el marcador. Nos desconectamos de la defensa. Definitivamente hay cosas que mejorar.”
Madera shot 42 percent from the field Thursday in the first three quarters, but made just three field goals in the fourth quarter and were outscored by eight points.
“Cuando encestamos, somos un equipo de baloncesto completamente diferente”, dijo Lozano. “Eso impulsa nuestra defensa. Ojalá pudiéramos hacer eso todo el tiempo. Si mantenemos la cabeza fría, nos enfocamos en la defensa, conseguimos una parada a la vez y tomamos el mejor tiro posible, eso nos mantendrá en el partido”.”
Art Flores lideró a los Coyotes con 22 puntos, incluyendo tres triples. Eli Barrios anotó 12 puntos, todos de triples, y capturó ocho rebotes. K’Veon Jones añadió 10 puntos, seis rebotes y tres robos.
The Coyotes also had 11 assists, but all in the first half. Meanwhile, the Coyotes forced 16 turnovers, 12 by steals.
“Our defense played hard,” Lozano said. “When we play with high hand, sprint on defense, deflect passes, we look like a better basketball team.”
The Coyotes opened the game by hitting nine of their first 10 shots and scored on seven of their first eight possessions to take a 19-9 lead.
Jones started the scoring with a layup from Raeshaun Hill. Then, Raelon Hill got a steal and made a layup. After a Chowchilla 3-point play, Flores spun baseline for a layup and was fouled. He made the free throw for the 3-point play.
After a Chowchilla bucket, Jones found Raeshaun Hill for a layup. Hill returned the favor to Jones for another layup. Hill then put back a missed 3-pointers. Christian Aguilar sandwiched two 3-pointers between a Chowchilla driving bucket.
After a Chowchilla bucket, Aguilar hit another 3-pointer for a 22-11 lead. Chowchilla answered with a 3-pointer. Flores closed out the first quarter with a 3-pointer and gave Madera a 25-14 lead.
With Flores’ 3-pointer, the Coyotes went on a 12-2 run to open the lead to 18. Flores started the second quarter scoring with two free throws and then hit a jumper. Jones got a steal and found Raeshaun Hill for a layup. Barrios closed the run with a 3-pointer.
Two minutes later, Barrios hit another 3-pointer to answer the Tribe’s 3-pointer.
Jones found Flores for a pair of layups to give the Coyotes a 41-21 halftime lead.
Raelon Hill found Jones on back-to-back possessions to start the second half. Chowchilla made four free throws to keep the lead at 20.
The Coyotes then went on an 11-0 run. Hill found Jones for another layup. Barrios hit another 3-pointer and Flores hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 56-25 lead.
After a Chowchilla 3-pointer, Jesus Arzola found Hill for a layup. A steal by Aguilar led to a layup by Arzola and a 32-point lead.
Chowchilla closed the quarter with six straight points to cut the lead to 26 entering the fourth.
Chowchilla scored first in the fourth quarter, but Flores put back a missed shot . The Tribe scored the next five points before Barrios hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game.
The Tribe closed out the game by scoring nine of the next 11 points for a 67-49 Coyote victory.