The Lady Roadrunners went 3-1 and placed third at the Epic Tourney New Year’s Tournament held Jan. 2-4.
Holbrook started the tournament on Thursday, with an impressive 56-30 win over Coolidge. The Birds netted 19 in the first, behind three triples from Deya Guerrero. In the second, Bailey Williams scored three times in the paint and Claw hit for five, helping Holbrook to a 36-17 halftime lead. Five different players had one field goal in the third, and Holbrook’s defense limited the Bears to just 3 in the quarter. Holbrook picked up 5 points from Channing Harrington in the fourth.
Harrington and Guerrero each led the team in scoring with 12 points. Williams added 11; Alayna Yazzie, 7; Claw, 5; Angelica Uranga, 5; Lanaya Tsosie, 2; and Chelsey Begaye helped with 2.
Holbrook’s first bracket game was a match-up with a much bigger Sahuarita team. The Roadrunners lead 19-11 after the first with Guerrero hitting two more treys. In the second their defense held the Mustangs to just 5, giving Holbrook a 28-16 lead at the break.
Claw made three two-point field goals and her freshman classmate Harrington added 5 in the quarter as Holbrook extended the lead. They went on to win the game 51-32.
Williams and Harrington each netted 11 points. Guerrero helped with 10, Claw had 8 as did Yazzie. Uranga scored 2 and Lanaya added 1.
Friday’s semifinal match-up with San Carlos was a rematch of the semifinal game from the Round Valley tournament before Christmas. This time San Carlos prevailed 44-43. Holbrook struggled to score in the first half, but their defense kept the game within reach, with the Braves leading 20-16 at the break. In the third, Holbrook took the lead behind four 3-point field goals. Two from Harrington and one each from Claw and Guerrero. The fourth quarter went back and forth with Harrington keeping Holbrook close with a trifecta of treys in the period. Holbrook trailed by 1 with 10 seconds left and an apparent steal was waved off, leaving them on the wrong side of a 1-point outcome.
Harrington led the team in scoring with a 21-point effort. Deya Guerrero added 8; Claw, 6; Yazzie, 4; Shayla Attakai, 2; and Williams helped with two.
With the loss, Holbrook moved on to face Coolidge again in the third and fourth place game. This time Coolidge used their physical size and style of play to bother Holbrook. Harrington kept her hot hand from the night before, hitting two more treys in the first, and Guerrero added one giving Holbrook a 10-6 lead after one.
In the second, Holbrook made just two field goals and trailed 18-17 at the half. Williams netted five in the third, and Uranga hit for four giving Holbrook a 34-27 lead going into the final period.
In the fourth, Tsosie took two of her three charges in the game, and Holbrook made just enough free throws to close out the Bears for the second time in the tournament 39-35.
Harrington led with 11. Williams added 9; Guerrero, 7; Uranga, 4; Begaye, 3; Yazzie, 2; and Claw made one free throw.
“Overall, it was a good tournament. We spent the break working on our half-court defense, and it showed in this tournament. Now we have to carry that over into a busy January. We got physically beat up in the Coolidge game, but hopefully the girls will be ready to go on Tuesday. We are in a hole and have to win games to make the state tournament,” stated Coach Greg Perkins.
Holbrook will host Round Valley on Tuesday, then will travel to Snowflake on Friday. Next Tuesday they host Blue Ridge.
The Lady Roadrunners are 7-10 overall and just 1-6 in regular season games.
