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Superior’s Jesse Lopez (#5) and Ray’s Jaden Pace (#3) battle it out under the basket at last week’s game.
The 14th-ranked Superior basketball team defeated rival Ray 60 – 38 last Tuesday night, in what was the final home appearance for seven seniors.
Four Panthers scored in double figures in the win, including seniors Jalon Murray (12 points), Austin Navarrette (10 points) and Jesse Lopez (10 points). Junior Marcus Bueno led all scorers with 16 points in the game.
Murray, who also grabbed 14 rebounds to record another double-double, led the Panthers on the defensive end with five steals and three blocks.
Other seniors playing in their final home game were Nicolaus Cruz, Dominic Perea, Joey-Diaz Gonzalez, and Edgar Galindo.
Superior will next compete in the 1A East tournament, where two automatic berths to the state tournament await the teams that reach the region finals. The 16-team state tournament, which begins Feb. 17 in Prescott, consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and six at-large berths, based on ranking.
Superior’s Marcos Bueno (#2) lines up for the shot.
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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