Playing in front of a frenzied crowd in the Thunderdome at Window Rock last Thursday night, the Roadrunners battled tough before dropping their first power point game of the year on a final three-point buzzer beater from the Scouts’ Kyler Ashley from the deep corner as time expired. Holbrook bounced back the following night, defeating Valley at Sanders, 69-52.
Holbrook fell behind early in the Window Rock contest thanks to Jaydiamond Taliman’s eight first quarter points for the Scouts. Bryson Keoni and Torrian Epps matched that total, but Holbrook trailed by six heading to the second. Jalen Jackson’s nine points in the second quarter, along with the team making all eight of its free throw attempts in the frame, helped the Birds overtake the Scouts and lead by two at the half.
In the third, Epps hit three from long range and the Scout’s Taliman matched him with 12 points in the quarter as Holbrook’s lead expanded to four heading to the final eight minutes.
In the fourth, the game went back and forth until Holbrook clung to a one-point edge with two seconds left on the clock. Needing just two for the win, the Scouts instead opted for the long range shot, which Ashley delivered from the corner, much to the delight of the hometown fans, leaving the Roadrunners on the wrong end of a 69-67 final score for just their second loss of the season.
Epps led Holbrook’s attack with 21 points. Jackson added 16; Keoni and Rashaun Baldwin, 10 each; Sheldon Silversmith, 5; and Dakota Lester and Seth Hadley, 3 each. Holbrook made 14 of 18 free throw attempts and knocked down five three-point shots.
Window Rock was led by Taliman with 27 points. Ashley added 14, including the final three of the game. The Scouts made 11 of 15 free throws and hit six from long range.
Holbrook 16 23 20 8 67
Window Rk 22 15 18 14 69
Playing in Sanders on Friday night the Roadrunners quickly returned to the win column, handing the Pirates a 17-point loss. With Jackson sidelined with an ankle injury, Epps took over the game in the second and third quarters, where he scored 21 of his game high 34 points.
Valley played tough in the first to trail by just two points, but from that point on Holbrook’s superior edge in talent began to give the Birds control of the game. They outscored Valley by 14 in the second, then played within a working margin of 20 points for the rest of the second half in the 69-52 win, which really wasn’t as close as the score indicates.
Along with Epps’s 34 points, Baldwin scored 19; Lester and Frank Martin, 6 each; and Ryan Baldonado and Silversmith, 2 each. Holbrook made both of its free throw attempts and hit nine three-point shots.
Valley was led by Arlyson Chapo with 23 points. Corey Quigley also scored in double figures with 17. The Pirates made eight of 19 free throws and hit two three-point shots.
Holbrook 17 21 19 12 69
Valley 15 7 20 10 52
With the split the Roadrunners move their overall record to 21-2. Heading into this week’s action they are 9-1 in power point contests. They will host Alchesay tonight (Jan. 18), Valley on Friday and Chinle on Saturday.
