Grand Junction Central Holds Off Prairie View
The Grand Junction Central Warriors used their ability to finish in the paint and timely three-point shooting by junior guard Kyle Blair to hold off a late comeback bid and defeat the host Prairie View ThunderHawks, 59-52.
The first quarter was a series of missed shots by each team, quick whistles and turnovers that prevented the game to find its pace. Both teams had plenty of open looks but shots would not fall, even simple put backs or lay -ups failed to go in the basket. With the score tied 8-8, in the final seconds Spencer Wilson scored his fourth point of this put back at the end of the quarter.
With Prairie View leading 10-8 at the start of the second quarter the Warriors found their groove and started putting the ball in the basket. Grand Junction Central started to work the ball inside either off the pass or the dribble and Prairie View could not stop it. The Thunderhawks 2-3 zone was ineffective at keeping the Warriors guards like junior Koby Steves out of the paint. Steves slashed to the basket and was perfect from the free throw line to score eight points in the quarter. Meanwhile the ThunderHawks only consistent offensive threat was junior guard Trey Marble. The smooth shooting point guard scored 9 of Prairie View’s 11 points in the quarter. The Warriors scored 19 points in the quarter to take a 27-21 lead into the locker room at halftime
As the third quarter started Prairie View struck first but could not keep up with the Warriors scoring. Only two ThunderHawks were able to score in the quarter, Marble scored six points while sophomore Kam Vincel added seven points. The Warriors had five different players scoring in the quarter to help build their lead to 42-34 at the end of the third quarter.
Marble was a one man wrecking crew in the fourth quarter. The junior was able to knock down a three pointer and mid range jumpers all while finishing at the basket to lead the ThunderHawks back. With less than four minutes left in the game Marble and crew had cut the Warriors lead down to one point. But that is when Blair started hitting three pointers again. Blair hit a three pointer to push the Warriors lead back to four and then after a couple of free throws and then hit this three pointer to push the Warrior lead back to six points, 53-47.
Double Digit Scorers
Grand Junction Central
Kyle Blair 13
Zach Labine 15
Koby Steves 17
Prairie View
Kam Vincel 11
Trey Marble 29
