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Josh Zaker (12) shoots over the outstretched arms of a SCA defender.
The Broncos’ Zach Merrill (15) launches a three-pointer during last Wednesday’s loss to SCA.
Tyson Berringer (34) puts down a dunk over a SCA defender.
A lethargic start in last Wednesday’s game against top-ranked Scottsdale Christian Academy (SCA) came back to haunt Poston Butte in a game that wasn’t decided until Josh Zaker’s desperate three-point shot missed at the buzzer.
“We definitely came out flat,” Broncos’ head coach Noel Nafziger said after the game. “You always ask how different it could have been had we come out a little better but we didn’t. We just have to understand that in these types of games we have to come out with fire and urgency so we have the best chance to compete.”
The 55 – 52 loss was the Broncos second-straight against a No. 1 team – they lost to Division II Higley last Monday – and their second in three games by three points or less.
After falling behind by as many as 10 points midway through the first half, senior guard Preston Anderson scored 12 of the Broncos’ 14 points in the second quarter to pull them with two points at halftime, 26 – 24. Anderson finished with a team-high 17 points.
The Broncos scored the first four points of the third quarter, taking a 28 – 26 lead after Qujuan Steward’s steal and bucket. They led by as many four points in the third before SCA made a comeback of its own to take a five-point lead, 39 – 34. Zach Merrill’s three-pointer at the buzzer left the Broncos’ trailing only by two entering the final quarter, 39 – 37.
Since trailing 22 – 12 early in the second quarter, the Broncos outscored SCA 25 – 17 by the end of the third quarter, displaying the urgency Nafziger had been demanded from the sidelines all night.
For unexplainable reasons, the Broncos lacked intensity at the start of the fourth quarter and trailed 50 – 42 with less than a minute remaining in the game as a result.
“I’m not sure why we couldn’t sustain the urgency,” Nafziger said. “SCA likes to play a deliberate pace and doesn’t ever force the issue offensively or defensively, so we were allowed to be comfortable.”
The Broncos had one final run left in them, scoring five-straight points in less than 20 seconds to cut the Eagles’ lead to 50 – 47 with just more than 40 seconds left. SCA’s missed free throws and Nafziger’s wise use of timeouts allowed the Broncos to close within one point with only 5.5 seconds left, 53 – 52.
SCA called a timeout after making two free throws with 1.3 seconds left in the game, allowing Nafziger a chance to design a play for the final shot.
Despite Zaker’s best effort, the shot never had a chance to go in, largely due to difficulty getting the ball inbounded.
Afterwards, Nafziger took the blame for a poorly designed final play, acknowledging he should have had someone other than 5-foot-9 point guard Kevin Johnson inbound the ball.
“I had our smallest guy take it out of bounds with a big defender on him, so I didn’t put him in a good position to make the pass,” Nafziger said. “In hindsight, I should have had (6-foot-8) Tyson [Berringer] take it out so he could see over that (taller) defender and it would have been an easier pass for him. So I need to do a better job in the last play situation.”
The Broncos’ executed the final minute to perfection, the last play notwithstanding, and it wasn’t unnoticed by their head coach.
“The last minute we did what we had to do,” Nafziger said. “We got some easy shots and they missed some free throws, which gave us a chance. I was happy with how we fought back. We had a chance to tie it and I just wish we would have gotten a little better look.”
Berringer, a junior, recorded another double-double – 15 points, 10 rebounds – in defeat. Johnson dished out a team-high five assists.
Upcoming schedule: Jan. 19 at Payson, Jan. 22 vs. Combs, and Jan. 26 at Show Low. All 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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