Second-half run secures home win for Coyotes basketball

Eduardo Miranda

The Daily Independent

The Cerro Coso men's basketball team returned home after a 71-60 win over Copper Mountain in Joshua Tree. The Coyotes hosted Desert with four games left in Inland Empire Athletic Conference.

After falling behind by two points in the first half, the Coyotes fought back and kept the Roadrunners at bay. With 9:57 left in the game, the Coyotes went on a 13-6 run to secure a 57-47 lead, en route to a 70-58 home win.

Head coach Chris Duggan spoke on his team's win for a two-game winning streak.

"I thought overall it was a solid performance. I don't think it was bad. We defended, we gave up 58 and they average 78 on the year. It's not like we only controlled the tempo, we did a good job doing the things we needed to do. A little lackadaisical at times, we had 21 turnovers which is never good, but we got a win. I'll take it," he said.

Cerro Coso finished the game shooting 46.4% from the field on 56 attempts, 21.7% from the three-point line on 23 attempts, and 81.3% from the free-throw line on 16 attempts. On the defensive end, the Coyotes held the Roadrunners to 30.3% from the field, 21.1% from the three-point line, and 66.7% from the free-throw line.

The Coyotes had a team total of 45 rebounds with 13 on the offensive glass. They had 14 assists, six steals, three blocks, but committed 21 turnovers and committed 17 fouls.

Three starters scored in double digits led by Demarris Day with 21 points and a team high seven assists. Terrance Sims Jr. had a double double 13 points and a team high 11 rebounds with four on the offensive glass. Lance Bailey Jr. had 11 points with five rebounds. Jay Matthews had a team high 11 rebounds with seven points, Arki Thornton Jr. had a team high two steals with eight points.

Dugan was pleased with the end stats of his team especially the scoring being balanced. His only complaint was a wish that his centers grabbed more rebounds with five from Thornton and six from Issiakoi Aminou. But he was pleased that Matthews and Sims both finished with 11 each.

Committing 17 fouls, the Coyotes had four players play under foul trouble – three with four and one with three. Dugan said on his players playing with foul trouble, "it hasn't happened much this year. Last year was crazy, we finished a game with four. It happens, guys get a little too hyper, they reach, Winnie the Pooh keep your hand out of the honey jar. But there is something to that. Some coaches won't play guys with two fouls. I'm kind of a math guy. I'll play a guy with two fouls, I'll put him back in. I've gotten stung before, but it worked out. And we are not very deep so you have to roll with it."

The home team held the lead for the first 16 minutes of the first half, but in the final four minutes with a 33-27 lead, the Coyotes went cold offensively. That allowed the visitors to end the half on an 8-0 run to go into the half leading 35-33.

It took the first six minutes in the second half for the Coyotes to take a one-point lead, 38-37, which forced a Desert timeout. The Coyotes held the lead, but the Roadrunners kept it close until the 9:57 mark leading 44-41. That started a 13-6 run for the next three minutes to build a 10-point lead, 57-47, which the home team never surrounded. Dugan spoke on the run.

"We did a good job. We were playing the right way, getting good looks, so I was telling the guys it's not if, it's when. I knew some of those shots were going to fall, and some of these teams we have some size advantage in the paint. It's just taking your time, playing off two feet, and being under control and then Lance hit a big shot and some things went our way," the Coyotes coach said.

The run was only part of what helped the Coyotes secure the win according to Dugan. He spoke on the team winning the boards and continuing to play hard.

"We gave up nine offensive rebounds in the first half. We gave up two in the second half. We shot 56% from the field in the first half when we were down. We gave up nine offensive rebounds. They took some long shoots and guys stayed in, and I think that was the biggest thing identifying who is a shooter and who is a driver," he said.

The Coyotes coach continued, "first you play hard and then it goes to competing. It's always been that play hard, play smart, play together. It's been a formula for eight years, and we haven't always embraced it this year. Sometimes we come out flat and not ready to play. I thought we have done a better job the last two games of coming out and being locked in to do the things we need to do. It's nice, and winning cures all. I know this year has been a little rough to get some dubs, but it's nice. It's nice to because when you come into the locker room and we win and the guys are excited and that's good."

With three games left in the season, Cerro Coso is on the road visiting Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday with tip-off at 3 p.m. Dugan said on facing the Eagles, "you are kind of playing spoiler at this point. We did it to Copper. We play San Jacinto really close here. It's a tough place to play, it's a good environment. Small gym and they have the baseball guys, it's fun. Our thing is to try and jack them up, and Trent (Skinner) is a good friend of mine so I like competing against them."

The Coyotes opened the game with Day finding Thornton with a bounce pass for a layup. Sims made a bounce pass in the paint to Thornton for a second layup for a 4-0 lead. After a three from the visitors, Day hit a three. He then found Matthews on the baseline for a jump shot. Day hit a jump shot and Sims made a free throw and a layup for a 14-8 lead. Marc Vincent ran the fast break and found Matthews for an easily layup for a 16-8 lead and Desert calling a timeout.

The Roadrunners hit a three after the timeout, and Bailey found Day for a three. After the visitors scored five straight, Vincent found Bailey in the corner for a three. Thornton was fouled and made both free throws, but Dugan called a timeout after a fast break dunk by the visitors cut the lead to three, 24-21.

Out of the timeout, the Coyotes fought on the board and Thornton grabbed the offensive rebound to score a layup. Day hit back-to-back jump shots, and Thornton found Bailey for a corner three to lead 33-27 with 4:37 left in the first half. Desert called a timeout and out of the timeout closed the half on an 8-0 run with Cerro Coso trailing 35-33.

The Coyotes tied the game to start the second half with Aminou hitting a sky hook in the paint and then retook the lead with Day finding Matthews for a layup, 37-35. After Matthews grabbed the offensive rebound, was fouled, and made one free throw, Dugan called a timeout with a two-point lead. Desert cut the lead to one and then called a timeout.

After the timeout, Sims was fouled and made both free throws and then he went into the paint and scored on a hook shot. Day was fouled driving the lane and made both free throws, forcing a Desert timeout with a 44-41 lead. Following the timeout, the Coyotes went on a 13-6 run.

After Desert made a free throw, Sims made two hook shots in the paint and followed that with a layup after grabbing the offensive board. That forced the visitors to call a timeout with Cerro Coso leading 50-45. Day found Bailey at the top of the key for a three, and then Day found Aminou under the basket for a dunk. Matthews found Vincent for a layup, bringing a Cerro Coso timeout with a 57-47 lead.

Out of the timeout after Desert scored, Day made a layup and Bailey grabbed a long offensive rebound to score a layup. Day was fouled, made the layup, and made the and-one free throw. Desert called a timeout trailing the Coyotes 66-54 with 1:16 left. Day found Aminou for an alley-oop and hit two free throws to close the game.