Pima’s defense shuts down Morenci

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci's Yedidia Laputa and Pima's Joel Mattice prepare to jump at referee Duane DeSpain's toss. Pima defeated Morenci 52-37.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

PIMA – The Pima Roughriders (4-1 conference, 14-2 overall) held the Morenci Wildcats (5-1 conference, 13-3 overall) to just one bucket in the second quarter and 9 total first-half points on their way to a 52-37 win at home Thursday night. 

“Anytime we play Morenci, we know it’s going to be a very physical, aggressive game,” said Pima head coach Cliff Thompson. “We gotta bring energy, and we did.”

It was a good bounce-back win for Pima, who fell to Scottsdale Christian on Tuesday, 45-49.

Pima won its second consecutive game on the road, 45-31, against Chandler Prep to start region play, and Morenci bounced back at home, 57-43, against Willcox. 

Pima never trailed in its game against Morenci, opening with a long baseline jump shot by Joel Mattice. Preston Russell hit down low to put Pima up 4-2, and the Roughriders would lead the rest of the game.

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Joel Mattice attacks the basket. Mattice had 10 of his co-game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Mattice hit another jumper in the first but did most of his damage in the fourth quarter when Morenci was pressing. The Roughriders press break led to multiple opportunities down low for Mattice, who hit 10 of his co-team-high 14 points in the fourth. 

“Joel (Mattice) did a really good job,” Thompson said. “He finished three or four buckets against the press. You know, when teams press you, you gotta make them pay, or they’re gonna keep pressing you.” 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci’s Aymen Abdulqader gets all ball on this block of Pima’s Keegan Corona.

The other equation of Pima’s inside/outside game – guard Keegan Corona – also led with 14 points. Corona slashed and dashed to the hoop in the first quarter and hit a 3-pointer in the second to help propel the Riders to a 24-9 halftime lead. 

Others who scored for Pima included Preston Russell with 8 points, Charlie Richardson with 6 points, Rhett Hughes with 5 points, Daxton McRae with 3 points, and Tanner Smith with 2 points. 

To keep pace, Hughes hit a big 3-pointer in the second quarter and another jumper in the third. Morenci pushed to come back in the third and had early success with Chris Lopez (10 points) spinning away from his defender to the bucket. Lopez then corralled a loose ball and took it coast-to-coast before leaving a nice dish to Aymen Abdulqader, who put it home for two of his team-high 12 points. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci head coach Ruben Leonard instructs his team.

Abe Cortez (4 points) then scored in the paint, and Adrian McCabe got his only points on the night off a deep 3-pointer to cut Pima’s lead to single digits. 

However, the Riders lived from the free-throw line in the quarter and shot 9-12 in the third alone. By the time Daxton McRae sunk his 3-pointer, Pima had built back a 40-21 lead heading into the fourth. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Referees Duane DeSpain, left, and J.C. Click, right, have a discussion regarding a foul.

Mattice scored all of Pima’s points in the fourth quarter except for two free-throws by Tanner Smith, as Pima’s press break created multiple down-low opportunities.  

“Overall, I felt like we did a good job defensively, and we kept our composures at the end,” Thompson said. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The Pima Roughriders defeated the Morenci Wildcats 52-37 on Thursday. Head coach Cliff Thompson said he was pleased wth the team’s effort.

Morenci will next travel north to face the Round Valley Elks in their dome on Monday at 7 p.m. 

After getting its first regional road win on Friday against Chandler Prep, Pima will next host its first regional game against Arete Prep (5-4 conference, 7-6 overall) on Monday, starting at 7 p.m.  

“We’re at a point in the season where it’s not a lot of practices, just games,” Thompson said.