Montbello Senior &Sophomore Stop South

By Matt Langley

LangleyScouting.blogspot.com

2/15/2013

Denver, CO- Senior A.J. Hayes kept the Montbello Warriors in the game when the Denver South Rebels threatened to pull away, and sophomore Malik Hart scored what turned out to be the winning basket with 40 seconds left as the Warriors defeated the Rebels 65-64 Friday night at Montbello.

            The Rebels jumped out to an early lead growing it to as many as 8 points in the quarter.  The Rebels’ full court press and half court zone defenses kept the Warriors off balance offensively most of the quarter.  Hayes was able to score a critical 5 points in the quarter keeping the Warriors within striking distance of the Rebels.  The Warriors’ Anthony Carter scored to cut the Rebel lead to 3 points, but Rebel Senior Earl Chavez picked off and stole two Warriors passes and drove the length of the floor for two layups in the last 30 seconds to give the Rebels a 7 point lead 20-13 at the end of the first quarter.  Senior Mark Dean led the Rebels’ scoring attack with 8 points in the quarter.

            The Rebels scored quickly at the beginning of the second quarter and looked poised to run away with the game. However, Hayes drained a three pointer to cut into the Rebels’ lead. Then a technical foul was called on a Montbello player for taunting that sparked an 8 point scoring outburst for the Rebels.  The outburst pushed the Rebel lead to 30-20 with 4:25 left in the quarter.  Hayes again stopped the scoring drought for the Warriors sinking two free throws. Montbello senior Patrick Jackson lead a 7-2 run for the Warriors scoring 5 points and cutting the South lead to 35-31 with a minute remaining in the quarter.  South junior Lorenzo Snoddy drained a three pointer and a foul was called on Montbello while trying to get through a screen set for Snoddy.  It gave South a 6-point lead and the ball back with 11 seconds left in the quarter, but South turned the ball over on the ensuing play, and the Rebels took a 39-33 lead into half-time.

            After a long half-time that honored Montbello senior boys’ and girls’ basketball players, the third quarter was a slugfest. Montbello threw the first punch scoring 8 unanswered points to take 40-39 lead with 4:30 remaining in the quarter. Then both teams did their share of missing lay ups, turning the ball over, and committing costly fouls that prevented either team from doing much on offense for the next two minutes of the game.  Next, it was South’s chance to throw the haymakers. South went on an 11-2 run over the last 2:30 of the third quarter which was capped off by junior Tyson Purifoy’s three-pointer with 6 seconds left in the quarter. The Rebels had an 8-point lead 50-42 going into the fourth quarter.

            The Warriors and Rebels traded baskets with each other for the first 2:00 of the quarter. Hayes once again hit a shot that stabilized the Warriors and kept the Rebels within sight. Then the Warriors’ Hart started to beat. Hart scored 9 of Montbello’s last 13 points.  Hart hit a smooth three pointer to cut the Rebel led to 54-50. Then a bucket by senior Malik Taylor and a sweeping reverse layup by sophomore Troy Green tied the game 56-56 with 4:00 left in regulation.  The Rebels’ Chaves drained a three pointer from the corner to put the Rebels back up by 3 points with 3:15 remaining. Shortly after the Chavez three pointer, South was whistled for a technical foul. Montbello’s Hart converted both foul shots making the score 59-58, Rebels. South was unable to convert on the next offensive possession, and Montbello turned the ball over on a charging foul on the following play.  South again was unable to come up with any points, and when the Warriors got the ball back, they called a timeout to set up a play for Hayes.  He knocked down the open three-pointer to give the Warriors a 61-59 lead. The Rebels’ Dean came down and tied the score with a shot in the lane with 2:08 left in the game.  Montbello failed to score on its next possession, and the Rebels’ Dean received the outlet pass and drove straight to the bucket and was fouled. The foul was called, but the shot did not go in, and Dean was issued a technical for an unknown reason. Dean made one of two free throws, and then it was the Warriors’ Hart who shot the two technical free throws with 1:37 left in the game with the Warriors trailing 62-61. Hart made one of two free throws to tie the game at 62.  Green was fouled on the next possession for the Warriors but missed both free throws. The Rebels were unable to score on the next possession.  With 40 seconds remaining, the Warriors’ Hart sank another three-pointer to give Montbello the lead 65-62. However, Chavez answered quickly back with two points for the Rebels making it a one-point game 65-64 with 30 seconds left.  The Rebels pressured the Warriors but did not automatically foul to stop the clock. Instead Warriors’ senior Kedrick Stewart drove to the basket and was called for charging, giving the ball back to the Rebels.  On the following play, after a miscommunication on a pass, the Rebels turned the ball over with 14. 5 seconds left. As the Warriors threw the ball in, tough defense by junior Rebels Antonio Garcia and Dean stole the ball away from Montbello’s Stewart. Dean was able to dribble to the lane and get a decent look at the basket, but the shot rimed out and Montbello’s Green was able to come up with the rebound.  Green was fouled and missed the two free throws, but South was unable to get a quality shot off from behind half court.  Hart scored 12 points in the quarter for Montbello.

Hayes scored 17 points for Montbello as did Hart, and Taylor added 10 points. South was lead in scoring by Dean’s 15 points and Chavez added 14.

The game was to feature two of the premier big men in the DPL; South’s high flying and quick off the floor forward Ibrahim Sylla versus Montbello’s strong and powerful Karmoko Cisse. Both big men where hampered by injuries and fouls that kept the match-up from developing.