Rock Point staves off late rally by Ganado

BURNSIDE JUNCTION, Ariz.

Rock Point used a couple of quarter-ending double-digit runs to get some separation to score a 70-63 win over Ganado on Monday night.

The Cougars closed out the opening half on a 14-0 tear for a 35-24 cushion at the break.

Ganado cut that halftime margin to one possession late in the third but Rock Point ended the stanza on another blitz, this time scoring 12 straight for a 51-37 advantage heading into the fourth.

That cushion was enough to stave off a late rally by Ganado as they pulled within 65-60 with 47 seconds left on two free throws by Lane Uentillie.

“It’s a good thing that we had that insurance lead, so to speak,” Rock Point coach Melvin Arthur said. “If we didn’t have that lead, and the game was close it would have put us in a tough position.”

Arthur lamented on how sloppy the game got late in the contest as Ganado sped up the Cougars. Midway through the fourth, the Hornets trailed the Cougars 59-42 but Colby Lee and Daunte Morgan provided a late spark.

Morgan scored 11 of his 17 points in those final five minutes of the game behind three treys while Kee hit 5-of-6 free throws.

“They really went after it,” Arthur said of Ganado. “In those instances we need to learn how to take care of the ball. They started fouling us but we didn’t convert on those opportunities.”

The Cougars were a little shaky at the foul line in the midst of Ganado’s rally as they went 2-for-5 before they made 5-of-6 in the final 42 seconds of the contest.
Ganado coach Norman Hubbell was not available for comment.

In the opening quarter, Rock Point trailed the Hornets 11-6 with just over three minutes left but a three-point shot from Johnston Begay keyed a 9-0 run. Isaac Salabiye added a pair of putbacks during that rally and Begay capped the scoring spree with two free throws for a 15-11 cushion heading into the second.

Behind seven straight points from Andre Joseph, Ganado gained a 24-21 edge with 1:26 left in the opening half but Rock Point regained the momentum with Ralshawn Dee hitting a trey.

After two free throws by Dee, Begay completed a four-point play for Rock Point, and to make matters worse for Ganado they fouled Adrian Johnson at the end of regulation while he was attempting a three-point shot.

With Johnson’s three made free throws, Rock Point led 35-24.

“We really didn’t shoot the ball well in the first quarter but as we continued to play it got better,” Arthur said. “We ended the first half with a little energy and we started making some shots. We made some passes and we stopped dribbling the ball and that gave us the lead.”

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