Photo By Stan Bonifacio Sports Photography: Thatcher’s Ashlynn Thompson drives to the hoop. Thompson scored a game-high 17 points as Thatcher prevailed 46-34.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – The No. 3 Thatcher Eagles’ girl’s basketball team (3-0 region, 9-1 conference, 13-5 overall) held No. 25 Safford (2-2 region, 2-4 conference, 7-8 overall) to just 2 points in the final quarter Thursday night to preserve the victory, 46-34. Thatcher sits atop the 3A South Central Region, and Safford is currently third in the 3A South Region.
“Safford played a great game,” coach Griffin said. “That was the best I’ve seen them play. They were good. They ran that triangle and two – we’ve never seen that before, so it was pretty smart. We struggled with that.”
The game was closer than a lot of people may have thunk, but as Thatcher head coach Dennis Griffin reminded, on any given day anyone in 3A can take out anyone else.
“Any team can beat anybody,” coach Griffin said. “It’s good to come in and just play, even if you don’t play as good as you think you should. Just keep fighting and keep playing and you got a shot at getting better.”
The Bulldogs seemed to take that to heart after falling behind 25-16 at the half. Thatcher’s Ashlyn Thompson and teammates Jade Griffin, and Olivia Lunt opened up the early lead for Thatcher. Thompson finished with a game-high 17 points to lead Thacher, followed by Jade Griffin with 12; Lunt with 9; Haley Nicholas with 4, and Aubrey Pace and Macey Carter with 2 points each.
The Bulldogs made their move in the third quarter after some halftime adjustments by head coach Robert Abalos, who said his team has grown through adversity this season.
“With those starters being out for so long it gave some bench role-players an opportunity to get a lot of minutes while they were out,” Abalos said. “So now, we’re able to go to the bench and maintain the score and not give up a huge lead or something like that. The experience they got while our starters were out really benefited us and now our bench is a little bit deeper and those girls have a lot more confidence coming in (to the game.)”
Brianna Camarena led the comeback by nailing two of her four daggers from deep on her way to a team-high 16 points on the night. She was followed by Lexi Lucas with 7; Brynzee Hansen with 6; Jaiden Mortenson with 3; and Ashlyn Schilling with 2 points.
“I think we probably surprised a lot of people, but this year with people being out with injuries and stuff like that, we’re slowly getting healthy,” Abalos said.
“But it was fun tonight. The whole goal was to stay close and put the pressure on them and we did that in the game today.”
Behind Camarena, Lucas, and Hansen, the Bulldogs cut Safford’s lead to just 3 points, 35-32, at the end of the third period.
“We struggled, but credit to Safford, they played really well,” coach Griffin said.
Thatcher’s defense then stepped up big time and held Safford without a field goal for the entire fourth quarter. The only points the Bulldogs got in the quarter were on a couple of free throws by Lucas. Still, with about half the quarter gone, the Bulldogs were only down 6.
But without a shot clock, the Eagles masterfully initiated its delay tactics (stall ball if you will) and successfully moved the ball around for more than a minute on a possession until Lunt had a good shot in the key and nailed it. Thompson then went 6-6 from the line in the fourth quarter to help close out the Bulldogs, 46-34.
“It was a good team effort,” Abalos said. “We’re getting better and, ultimately, that’s what you want to do. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And tonight was a great game for us and a confidence builder as we finish out our regional schedule.”
Safford will next travel to face (Tucson) Palo Verde Magnet on Friday, Jan. 21, starting at 5:30 p.m.
The Eagles have been on a tear and have peeled off seven wins in a row since losing to 2A state No. 1 Pima, 30-63, on Jan. 4.
Thatcher will next travel to face Globe on Friday, Jan. 21, starting at 5:30 p.m.
