Holbrook opened their season with a 10-point win over the Alchesay Falcons last Tuesday night. The Roadrunners have a young squad this year but they managed to overcome a big crowd at the Activity Center in Whiteriver to secure the 52-42 win.
Jaron Becenti hit two triples in the first period and Xavier Brown added a third from distance, helping Holbrook build a 15-12 first-period lead. In the second, Holbrook’s defense held the Falcons to just 6 points, while Amare Nelson and Tyler Tapaha each netted three, allowing Holbrook to hold a 26 to 18 halftime lead.
Tapaha scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the third period as Holbrook extended the lead. Each team scored 13 in the final stanza, leaving Holbrook with a solid road win to start the regular season.
Tapaha led with 22 points. Jaron Becenti and Brown each scored eight. Manuel Rico added 7; Nelson, 3; Leyton Tom, 2; and Caleb Cummings finished with 2. Holbrook made five 3-point field goals and went 11 for 15 at the free-throw line.
Holbrook played in the Ben Franklin Thanksgiving Classic on Friday and Saturday following the Holiday. They went 1-3 in four games played. The team opened the tournament vs Fountain Hills and fell to the Falcons, 57-40. Holbrook trailed by just three at the half, but they were outscored 15-4 in the fourth quarter.
Tapaha led in scoring with 20 points. Brown added 8; Becenti, 5; Tom, 3; Nelson, 2; and Anu Pittman scored 2. Holbrook made just three long-range field goals and went one for two at the free-throw line.
Their second game on Friday was a 7-point loss to the host team Ben Franklin. Holbrook started slowly getting outscored 17-8 in the first period but outscored the host team the rest of the way. Ben Franklin won 57-50 despite 30 points from Tapaha. The junior played strong in the paint and made three of six free throws. Brown added 12, Cummings had 5, and Domonick Smith helped with 3. Holbrook made seven 3-point field goals, with four coming from Brown. At the line, the team was three for six.
Holbrook’s first game on Saturday morning was a match-up with Poston Butte. Both teams were sluggish in the first period which ended with Holbrook trailing 10-11. The Roadrunners came alive in the second, netting 18 points while holding the Broncos to just 10. The Birds outscored Poston Butte in the second to win the game 49-37.
Tapaha again played well scoring 32 of Holbrook’s 49 points. Brown added 9, Rico had 4, as did Nelson. The Birds made four 3-point field goals and went 11 for 12 at the charity line.
Holbrook’s final game was Saturday afternoon where they met up with one of the 3A powerhouses this year. Gilbert Christian is considered to be one of just a small number of teams who could give Valley Christian any competition in 3A. The Knights jumped on top of Holbrook 33-14 in the first period and never looked back on their way to a 91-55 win.
Cummings led Holbrook in scoring with 15 points. Nelson added 12; Tapaha had 11; Pittman, 4; Becenti, 3; Tom, 3; Smith, 3; Rico, 2; and Joquin Belin added 2 in the loss. Holbrook hit seven shots from behind the three-point line and went 6 for 8 from the free throw line.
Holbrook, now 2-3 will host Chinle on Tuesday this week. Next Tuesday they will welcome in Ganado. Next weekend they will have six games at the Round Valley Tournament beginning on Thursday, Dec. 7.
