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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Eagles close season by ending losing streak
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
It took the entire 10-game schedule of the District 4-3A season, but
the shots finally fell at the right time for the Pecos Eagle boys'
basketball team Tuesday night, while not falling at all for most of the night for the
Fort Stockton Panthers.
The Eagles, who had fallen behind early in their most recent games
due to poor shooting, hit a trio of outside shots as part of a 10-2 run to
close the first period, while the Panthers couldn't break the 30 point
barrier until the final two minutes of play, as Pecos closed out the 2002-03
boys basketball season with their first district win, 51-33 over Fort Stockton.
"It just feels good to get a win," said Eagles' coach Joe Flores,
whose team ended a nine-game losing streak with the victory. "It's a good way
to end it."
"We still didn't shoot the ball really well, but we made some
big shots," he said. "Above all, our defensive intensity tonight
reminded me of our team in November and December."
Pecos started slowly in both halves, taking two minutes to get
their first basket at the start of the game, and nearly that to score opening
the third period. But both times, they still managed to get on the
scoreboard ahead of Fort Stockton. Bino Barreno hit a 10-foot jumper for the
Eagles' first points, and after a basket by Darin Tavarez tied the game
the Eagles went ahead for good when Joey Ortega hit one of two
free throws.
Barreno would end up scoring six of the Eagles' 15 points in the
opening period, including a foul line jumper during the 10-2 run that ended
the quarter. John Parent and Isaiah Armendariz also hit from the
outside during the run, and Armendariz began it with a lay-up off a pass by
Barreno, as both players ended up scoring 10 points on the night.
Pecos led 15-5 after one period, and Fort Stockton would get no
closer than seven points the rest of the way, at 19-12 off a 3-point jumper by
Isai Rojas. But Jason Sanchez hit a short jumper after that, and Oscar
Parada would close the half with a lay-up off a pass from the left baseline
by Armendariz, giving the Eagles a 26-15 lead.
A three-point play by Ortega, who led Pecos in scoring with 12
points, began the third period scoring for the Eagles, who widened their lead to
39-20 at the end of the period and took their largest lead of the night, at
43-20, on a rebound basket by Armendariz and steal and lay-up
by Barreno to begin the final period.
Fort Stockton finally did find the range in the closing minutes, as
the cut the lead back to as little as 15 points in the closing minutes, but
the Panthers managed only 13 field goals on the night, four in the final
three minutes of play. Tavarez led Fort Stockton in scoring with nine points.
"I attribute it all to our defensive pressure," said Flores. "We
were flying to the basketball tonight, and even though we didn't shoot as
well as we could, we didn't take bad shots."
After going 10-8 in pre-district play, Tuesday's win allowed
Pecos to end the season with an 11-17 mark, with a 1-9 record in District 4-3A.
Fort Stockton, which lost in pre-district play to the Eagles but beat Pecos
in their 4-3A meeting in mid-January, ended up with a 2-8 district mark.
Tuesday's game was also the final one for seniors Armendariz,
Ortega, Sanchez, Genaro Mandoza, Jayson Hinojoz and Fernando Lerma.
Pecos will return five varsity players next season.
The Eagles also won Tuesday's final junior varsity game, 56-51,
while Fort Stockton took the freshman contest, 51-38. Victor Reyes led
the JV with 17 points and Luis Licon had 15 to top the ninth graders.
Monahans clinched the final playoff berth out of District
4-3A despite a 57-45 loss at Kermit, as Greenwood downed fourth
place Presidio, 57-45 The Rangers earned a first-round playoff bye, while
Kermit will face Seminole and Monahans will take on Sweetwater in the
bi-district round of the Class 3A playoffs.
FORT STOCKTON (33)
N. Garcia 0 0-0 0; Mowry 3 0-1 6; Armendariz 0 0-0 0; Tavarez 4 1-4
9; Rivera 0 0-0 0; A. Garcia 1 2-6 4; Rojas 2 0-2 5; Flowers 0 1-2 1; Gonzales 3
2-5 8. Totals 13 6-20 33.
PECOS (51)
Sanchez 3 0-1 6; Parada 3 1-4 7; Armendariz 4 2-3 10; Mendoza 0
1-2 1; J. Reyes 0 0-0 0; Barreno 5 0-0 10; Hinojoz 1 1-2 3; Lara 0 0-0 0; Parent
1 0-0 2; Ortega 4 4-5 12; Lerma 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 9-17 51.
Ft. Stockton 5 10 5 13 _ 33
Pecos 15 11 13 12 _ 51
Three-point goals: Fort Stockton, Rojas. Technical foul: Fort
Stockton, N. Garcia. Fouled out: None. Total fouls: Fort Stockton 13, Pecos 18.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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