The Joseph City Wildcats went 1-2 in three games played last week, picking up a big two-point home win over St. Johns on Tuesday, then falling the next day at Cibecue by six points. On Saturday, they played well at home, but came up short against neighboring Holbrook.
Against St. Johns on Tuesday, the Wildcats played well from start to finish, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Both teams played even and needed four extra minutes for the Cats to secure a 65-63 win. In the overtime, Jacob Fields went four for four from the line and scored all eight of the Wildcats’ points. Joseph City’s defense held the Redskins to just six points over the final four minutes to secure the win.
“It was a great game. We really played well on defense. St Johns has some shooters, and I felt we did a great job at limiting their open looks. This was a big win for us,” said Coach Eric Miller.
Fields had a big day, scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds. Wyatt Johnson added 12 and had three crucial steals. Wyatt Bain added 9 points with seven rebounds and 3 steals.
St. Johns 13 11 19 14 6 63
Joe City 10 10 21 16 8 65
A long trip to Cibecue on Wednesday resulted in a high scoring, 80-74 road loss for Joseph City. The long trip didn’t bother the Wildcats’ shooting touch, as they made 12 three-point bombs, seven from Bain, all coming in the second half. However, the host team also shot well. Turnovers spelled the difference in the final outcome.
“We shot the ball well, but turnovers were our downfall. We had over 20 turnovers, which led directly to easy scores for them,” said Coach Miller.
Bain led the way with 23 points, all in the second half. Fields added 18 with five assists and two steals. Daniel Bushman netted 13 with five assists and three steals. Dallas Elmer finished with a dozen points in the loss.
Joseph City 11 17 27 19 74
Cibecue 14 18 23 25 80
On Saturday the Wildcats were back on their home floor, hosting a Roadrunner team that was coming off a home upset loss to Snowflake the night before. Joseph City fell behind early, but played hard, staying within reach of Holbrook until a three or four-minute stretch in the second half when Holbrook pulled out to a double-digit lead. The Cats fought hard, but could never quite get back into the game, which ended with Holbrook on top 63-49.
“My kids played a great game. We were physical and played hard. Defensively, we have improved a ton. Jacob played a great game with 23 points and three assists. Wyatt Johnson was outstanding on defense and Dainel Bushman had a great all around game with 11 points and eight boards,” added the coach.
Holbrook 18 11 17 17 63
Joseph City 6 17 11 15 49
The Wildcats head into the final week of the regular season with an overall record of 10-12. They were slated to host Snowflake on Tuesday, then travel to Eagar on Thursday to meet Round Valley. On Friday night they will host Valley Sanders for Senior Night. Senior players on the team who will be recognized include Daniel Bushman, Wyatt Bain, Dallas Elmer, Austin Lee and Austin Gardner.
