Rams charge past South Ridge for big win

After a tough weekend tournament, the Maricopa varsity boys’ basketball team bounced back to beat South Ridge 70-36 Monday.

The Rams dominated South Ridge from the first quarter when they held them to only two points while scoring 22 of their own. Although South Ridge was able to score at least 10 points in the following three quarters, Maricopa had already established a strong lead and scored consistently throughout the rest of the game.

Coach Andy Branchik said the team started to use the run offense and showed more patience in setting up shots.

Jewaun Crosby led the team in points with 16, followed by Josh Gonzalez (11), Wesley Gonzalez (10) and Justin Zabawa (10). Also contributing to the Rams’ scoring were Cullen Teller (6), Mike Brown (4), Mahonri Vilalba (4), Jaime Sanchez (4), Davon Snell (2) and Larson Arey (1).

Despite winning by a large margin, Branchik said there was still room for improvement.

“We need to work on our turnovers,” Branchik said. “We’re too careless with the ball.”

Over the weekend the Rams lost to Desert Edge (40-80) and Cortez (69-85) in the Oh! Scorpion Classic Tournament. Branchik said the tournament was a good learning experience for the team, despite the losses, because they faced strong teams from the 4A and 5A divisions.

The next time the Rams take the court will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Maricopa High School.

If you go:
What: Maricopa boys’ basketball
When: Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m.
Where: Maricopa High School
Cost: $5 for adults; $3 for students