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Bobcats beat VC 72-62; get ready for final stretch
Staff report
The Benson Bobcats won a non-conference contest on the road at Valley Christian just before Christmas break, knocking off the Trojans 72-62.
Valley Christian, having won four state championships dating back to 2003, couldn't overcome the Bobcats' offense. Benson saw four players score in double figures on the night.
After Valley Christian got off to a hot start, leading 14-6, the Bobcats got a pair of turnovers and a three-pointer from Tyler Deneweth to cut the lead to 11-9.
Both teams would trade hoops throughout the first quarter and VC led it 20-14 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats found their scoring rhythm, with Brady Fenn and Chris Taylor connecting from long range on a pair of three-pointers that sparked an 11-0 run to spurt the Bobcats out to a 37-28 lead.
Nathan East added a pair of steals that led to fast-break points for Benson as well. The Bobcats were able to extend their halftime lead of 37-30 in the third quarter to lead by 8 going into the fourth quarter.
Valley Christian was able to make a run at Benson in the fourth quarter, closing the lead to 4 points, but a Tyler Deneweth lay-up, on a feed from East, put the Bobcats up by 6 with less than two minutes to play.
On the ensuing Valley Christian possession, Kyle Graf stole the ball at mid-court and was fouled on his successful layup attempt. His free throw on the three-point play gave Benson a comfortable 9-point lead.
Graf added a pair of free throws late for the 72-62 final. Graf led all scorers with 22 points. Tyler Deneweth added 17 alongside 11 rebounds. Fenn scored 15 points and Chris Taylor dropped in 11. Dain Dastrup collected 10 rebounds.
"We scheduled this game for a reason," said Coach Chris Riehemann. "It's a first-class opponent on the road and this is the type of team we have to compete against to achieve our goal in February. The bottom line in any game comes down to who guards the best in the half court and who rebounds. We were really good on both of those things. We had guys move out of their area to go rebound the ball all night and that's a big factor when you can limit good teams to just one shot each possession."
Coming back from a long break, the Bobcats struggled against Valley Union Saturday night, in a 50-46 loss.
With the second half of the season now under way, the Bobcats are looking for consistency as 2A East Conference play begins.
The Bobcats opened conference play against Tombstone Tuesday night. However, results of the contest were not available at press time.
After the first half the season, Thatcher currently leads the conference at 10-3, Benson is two games back at 8-5.
In scoring, Fenn is fifth in the conference, averaging 11.7 points a game. Jon Orr of Thatcher is in first at 17.8 points.
The Bobcats will face Thatcher in the big conference game on Jan. 16, which will be a big week for the Benson team, as they will host Willcox the night before in a widely anticipated rematch from last season.
On Jan. 15, the Bobcats' will host Willcox and look to gain their third consecutive victory over the conference rival.
Last year's game at Benson ended in controversy as the Willcox coach was ejected along with one Willcox player.
This week, the Bobcats will have away games, traveling to Bisbee, Pusch Ridge Academy and Morenci.
The Willcox game is their next home game, at 7 p.m.
Valley Christian, having won four state championships dating back to 2003, couldn't overcome the Bobcats' offense. Benson saw four players score in double figures on the night.
After Valley Christian got off to a hot start, leading 14-6, the Bobcats got a pair of turnovers and a three-pointer from Tyler Deneweth to cut the lead to 11-9.
Both teams would trade hoops throughout the first quarter and VC led it 20-14 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats found their scoring rhythm, with Brady Fenn and Chris Taylor connecting from long range on a pair of three-pointers that sparked an 11-0 run to spurt the Bobcats out to a 37-28 lead.
Nathan East added a pair of steals that led to fast-break points for Benson as well. The Bobcats were able to extend their halftime lead of 37-30 in the third quarter to lead by 8 going into the fourth quarter.
Valley Christian was able to make a run at Benson in the fourth quarter, closing the lead to 4 points, but a Tyler Deneweth lay-up, on a feed from East, put the Bobcats up by 6 with less than two minutes to play.
On the ensuing Valley Christian possession, Kyle Graf stole the ball at mid-court and was fouled on his successful layup attempt. His free throw on the three-point play gave Benson a comfortable 9-point lead.
Graf added a pair of free throws late for the 72-62 final. Graf led all scorers with 22 points. Tyler Deneweth added 17 alongside 11 rebounds. Fenn scored 15 points and Chris Taylor dropped in 11. Dain Dastrup collected 10 rebounds.
"We scheduled this game for a reason," said Coach Chris Riehemann. "It's a first-class opponent on the road and this is the type of team we have to compete against to achieve our goal in February. The bottom line in any game comes down to who guards the best in the half court and who rebounds. We were really good on both of those things. We had guys move out of their area to go rebound the ball all night and that's a big factor when you can limit good teams to just one shot each possession."
Coming back from a long break, the Bobcats struggled against Valley Union Saturday night, in a 50-46 loss.
With the second half of the season now under way, the Bobcats are looking for consistency as 2A East Conference play begins.
The Bobcats opened conference play against Tombstone Tuesday night. However, results of the contest were not available at press time.
After the first half the season, Thatcher currently leads the conference at 10-3, Benson is two games back at 8-5.
In scoring, Fenn is fifth in the conference, averaging 11.7 points a game. Jon Orr of Thatcher is in first at 17.8 points.
The Bobcats will face Thatcher in the big conference game on Jan. 16, which will be a big week for the Benson team, as they will host Willcox the night before in a widely anticipated rematch from last season.
On Jan. 15, the Bobcats' will host Willcox and look to gain their third consecutive victory over the conference rival.
Last year's game at Benson ended in controversy as the Willcox coach was ejected along with one Willcox player.
This week, the Bobcats will have away games, traveling to Bisbee, Pusch Ridge Academy and Morenci.
The Willcox game is their next home game, at 7 p.m.
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