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The No. 22-ranked Superior boys’ basketball team clinched a berth in next week’s Division V Section IV Tournament that will take place at Thatcher High School beginning Wednesday, Feb. 10.
The Panthers, who are currently projected to be the fourth-seed, will likely face San Manuel or Duncan in the tournament’s first round.
After a loss to Miami last Wednesday, the Panthers defeated rival Ray on the road, 68 – 51.
Jalon Murray (16), Austin Navarrette (14), and Michael Salazar (12) all scored in double-figures against the Bearcats. The trio combined to shoot 17 of 28 from the field and accounted for nearly 67 percent of the team’s point total.
Murray led the team with a game-high nine rebounds while Navarrette recorded four of the Panthers’ 13 steals in the game.
Upcoming schedule: Feb. 2 vs. San Carlos and Feb. 5 at Mogollon. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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