Hosting a strong Blue Ridge Yellowjacket team on Friday night, the Roadrunners gave up 45 first-half points to find themselves in a big hole they couldn’t climb out of in the second half despite outscoring the visitors by four in the final two periods.
Kobi Koerperich hit one of his two three-point shots in the first, but it wasn’t enough to offset a 22-point effort from the Jackets. In the second quarter, Jaren Jackson scored three inside buckets but Blue Ridge exploded for 23 more points, which included four three-pointers to lead 45-21 at the break.
Holbrook scored better in the third, with Eric Baldonado and Koerperich each making shots from distance, but the Jackets put up another period with 20 plus points to lead 66-37 heading to the final stanza. Holbrook held the visitors to just two points in the running clock fourth period, but the damage had long since been done. Unbeaten Blue Ridge went on to win the game 68-48. The Yellowjackets are now 11-0 on the season.
Holbrook was led in scoring by Baldonado and Jackson with each player netting 8 points. Terrence Kelly added 7; Koerperich, 6; Tynen Thomas, 4; Anthony Nelson, 4; Emerson Begay, 4; Jared Woody, 3; Tyrell Nelson 2, and Josiah Freddie added 2 in the loss. Holbrook made four treys and went four for 10 at the line. Blue Ridge was led by Mason Burgess with 26 and Damien Burnette with 24. The Jackets made nine three-point field goals and went three for five at the charity stripe.
Holbrook will play their final game of 2017 at Monument Valley today (Wednesday, Dec. 20). Following that contest, Holbrook will be off until they return to action in January with three straight road games. On Jan. 5, they are in Show Low, on the 6th they go to Page, and on the 9th, Holbrook will play at Snowflake. Holbrook headed into Wednesday’s game with the Mustangs with an overall mark of 10-4. They are still searching for their first regular season win with an 0-4 power ranking record.
