The Roadrunners had their 11-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday afternoon in Prescott and along with it their hopes of a back-to-back trip to the final four were ended.
Fifth-seeded Holbrook met up with No. 4 Yuma Catholic in front of a pro-Holbrook fan base at Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott on Tuesday. Both teams brought different game plans into the contest, but Yuma was better able to get the game plan they wanted. Holbrook likes to get up and down the court, creating shooting opportunities for their senior sharpshooters, while the Shamrocks wanted the pace slower and to utilize their taller players in the post.
With the exception of a couple of moments in the second half, the fourth-ranked Shamrocks got the game they wanted. The pace of play was slow by Holbrook standards and Holbrook’s typical up-tempo offensive game filled with a lot of motion became stagnant with little movement throughout the contest. Noah Brown was able to make a few plays and Brandon Tapaha managed two treys, but Holbrook’s seven total three-pointers were far less than their usual output from distance.
With the pace to their liking, Yuma Catholic made this a one-possession game in the final moments. Holbrook had an opportunity to break a 46-46 tie with around 20 seconds left in the fourth period, but a missed shot gave Yuma one final possession. That possession ended with a 30-foot launch that found the bottom of the net with 2.1 seconds left on the clock, leaving a talented Holbrook team on the wrong side of a 49-46 final outcome.
Brown finished his final game as a Roadrunner with 12 points. Tyler Tapaha added 9; Quentin Thomas, 8; Brandon Tapaha, 8; and Stran Bain, Kyle Smith, and Sam Francisco, each had 3 points in the loss.
Holbrook finished the season with an overall record of 25-5. With nine seniors on this year’s roster, the team will be looking to rebuild around sophomore post player Tyler Tapaha for next season.
Yuma Catholic fell to top-seeded and eventual state champion Valley Christian in the semi-final round. Valley Christian defeated Monument Valley in the title game on Saturday.
