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Playing as the 13th and higher seed in the first round of the 3A state tournament Holbrook’s boys team played host to 20th seeded Coolidge on Wednesday night at Munoz Gym. The Bears came into the game with a 7-8 regular season mark and they were 14-13 on the season. Holbrook entered at 10-7 and 15-12 overall.
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The Roadrunners won the prior two games leading into the state tournament, in part by making 24 three-point shots. From the onset of the game against Coolidge it was obvious Holbrook was going to struggle with the speed and strength of the Bears team. Coolidge raced out to a 17-9 lead after the first eight minutes. In the second frame, Holbrook slowed things down a bit outscoring the lower seed 8-6, but the Birds still trailed 23-16 at the half.
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Coolidge just came out on fire in the third and effectively put the game away. With Holbrook struggling from the perimeter, where they made just five total threes in the game, Coolidge was able to force turnovers and dominated on the boards to pull away to a 41-23 lead through three quarters. Holbrook tried to battle back in the fourth, but the Bears put up another 18 points on their way to the 59-36 upset win over the Roadrunners, bringing Holbrook’s season to a close.
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Holbrook seniors Tynen Thomas and Josiah Freddie, playing their final game, each led the team with 11 points. Anthony Nelson added 6; Damien Clark, 3; Blayne Nelson, 3; and Zeke Begaii netted two. Holbrook made just five three-point field goals, and went five for 11 at the charity stripe.
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Coolidge was led by Nick Harrison with 24 points. The Bears connected on seven three-point shots, and went four for 10 at the line.
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Holbrook ended their season with an overall record of 15-13. Coolidge moved on to face No. 4 Winslow on Saturday night in Snowflake, where they were soundly beaten by the defending state champion Bulldogs 83-63, bringing their season to a close with a 15-14 overall record.
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