(Editor’s note: recaps and photos have been submitted by CSHS boosters)
After starting the game with an “alley oop” bucket on their 1st possession, and a 13-0 lead half way through the 1st quarter, it was all over but a small amount of shouting, as the Cactus Shadows Falcons boy’s basketball team went on to beat the Youngker Roughriders (Buckeye) 79-33 in front of a home crowd on Tuesday 12/5/17.
The Falcons (6-1) started the game with a full court man press, and kept the Youngker offense out of rhythm with hurried shots and turnovers, allowing Cactus Shadows to score easy baskets in transition, pushing the lead to 26-7 at the end of the 1st quarter.
It was more of the same as the game went on, with a heavy rotation from the deep Falcons bench, keeping the pressure on, going into halftime with a 48-18 lead, and extending the lead to 68-27 after 3 quarters.
The Roughriders (2-3) came into the game showing the ability to shoot the ball well from the perimeter, but the Falcons defense came in prepared, and made things difficult on the outside. “We did a great job guarding the arc knowing Youngker was a 3 point heavy team,” said 1st year Falcons Head Coach Zach Washut. “We also used great ball pressure to disrupt their offense.”
The Falcons were lead by Duncan Hearn (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Jake Benci (16 points).
KEY STAT
12, total number of available players on the bench who all had the opportunity to make a contribution with good playing time in this game.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Easy call here, as time was expiring in the 1st quarter, Senior guard Julian Johnson had a blind side steal, followed immediately by a buzzer beating, fade away 30 foot three pointer from the right side, as he was falling out of bounds. It doesn’t get much better than that.
FALCON’S RECORD: Overall: 6–1, Section: 0–1.
