Maricopa boys fall to Safford 58-53

The Bulldogs of Safford jumped out to an early 12-2 lead that would set the tone for the remainder of Tuesday night’s game. Playing in front of a raucous crowd at home, the Rams used a pressing defensive style to force an up-tempo game throughout the first half.

Terrance Motley scored eight of his game high 23 points in the first half to help keep the game close. A late rally at the end of the second period found the Rams trailing at halftime by a score of 24-21, with all the momentum in favor of the home team.

Unfortunately, the Rams were unable to protect the ball, turning it over on their first three possessions in the second half. This sparked a 7-0 Bulldog run that would prove impossible for Maricopa to overcome, though not for lack of effort. At the end of the third quarter, the Rams trailed 43-34.

In the end, however, all attempts by the Rams to come from behind were stalled less by pressure from the opposition and more by poor free throw shooting. Shooting only five of 14 from the charity stripe, Maricopa missed several key free throws late in the game that would have put them on top. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs successfully completed 20 of 27 from the line.

Also contributing for the Rams was Cory Webb, who scored 14 points, and Wesley Gonzalez, scoring nine points while shooting 3-3 from beyond the three-point arch.

The loss drops the Rams to a record of 11-3 and is their first conference loss.

Photos by David Vargas