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Bobcats'season goals coming into view
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| Within reach: Kjel Gudvangen dominated Thatcher at the boards, bringing down 13 in the victory. (Thelma Grimes/photo.) |
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
In three games of total domination last week, the Benson Bobcats put on a clinic of how it's done, outscoring three opponents 191-109, including conference leaders Thatcher and Willcox.
Seniors said early this season that a goal in 2A East Conference play was to finally beat Thatcher. The seniors had never done that and they entered last Tuesday's game with a 0-10 record, including a 12-point loss earlier this season.
The first quarter showed a Bobcats' team on a mission, as they jumped out to a 15-3 lead.
In the second quarter, Thatcher showed why they have led the conference for the last three years, cutting the Bobcats' lead to six before top-scorer Tyler Deneweth took over.
In the final four minutes of the first half, the senior scored 11 of his 24 points to give Benson a 34-20 lead.
"Our guys really competed and that's something that they've done consistently since mid-January," said Coach Chris Riehemann. "We out-rebounded them, and their guys are bigger than our guys at every spot on the court. I thought (Kjel Gudvangen with 13 rebounds) just played with such great energy, and he found a way to always be around the ball.
"Tyler did exactly what we expect him to do, and that's lead us to make shots. He is playing as well as anyone in the conference right now and it's not a coincidence that when he plays well, we play well."
The second half was all Benson, as they led 53-24 in the third quarter, and finished with a 58-33 victory.
Riehemann said another key to victory was senior Dain Dastrup, who finished with 18 points.
"Dain is going up against guys who are taller and he's done that all year long," Riehemann said. "He finds a way to score the ball and rebound."
After the home victory, Deneweth, Dastrup and fellow senior Kyle Graf said they were happy to finally beat the conference rival.
"I'm so happy, I'm going to Disneyland," Graf said.
On a serious note, Deneweth and Dastrup agreed that they didn't expect to win by such a large margin, but it felt good to do so.
"This is the best we've ever played," Deneweth said. "I think if we keep playing like this we are going to do really well."
Dastrup said it felt like a weight has been lifted, noting the team has always had potential, but now it's coming through on the court.
The strong play continued Thursday night when the Bobcats hosted Morenci in another conference game. The game was no problem for the driving Bobcats, in a decisive 62-26 victory.
Dastrup led the charge with 17 points, while Deneweth put up 14.
With two wins in a row, the Bobcats went into Monday night's game in a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Thatcher and Willcox. Looking for bragging rights and a conference title, which comes with a plaque, the Bobcats were in a must-win situation.
The Bobcats lost to Willcox early in the season, playing without Graf who had a fractured foot.
In this game, Graf made his presence known, scoring a season-high 24 points.
In the first half, the Bobcats jumped out to a 10-2 lead, but Willcox's Shane Hicks and Rudy Verdugo kept chipping away at the lead to keep the Cowboys in the game.
In the low-scoring half, Benson went into halftime with a narrow 25-21 lead.
The second half was all Benson, as Graf and Gudvangen came out firing.
Gudvangen started the half with seven points, including a three-pointer to give Benson a 30-21 lead.
Graf hit two shots from outside before the end of the quarter, and Benson held a commanding 49-33 lead.
Graf said he got some open shots in the second half, but noted the team continues to get better each game to make Benson one of the top teams in the 2A East Conference.
"Playing Willcox is a game we look forward to all year," Graf said. "I think this team is peaking at the right time, and we are looking forward to what we can accomplish in the games coming up."
In the team effort, where Dastrup had 13 points and Deneweth finished with 11, the Bobcats spread the ball around in the fourth quarter, making the shots and bringing down the rebounds to win 71-50.
"Anytime you go on the road to Willcox and win, you're pretty pleased," Riehemann said. "They are one of the top teams in the east and it's nice to get one there. I was really pleased with how Tyler, Kyle and Dain scored, but I thought Alex (Montijo), (Gudvangen), (Ryan Meza), (Derek Elsmore) and (Mike Rowe) really gave us some positive things off the bench."
Those positives have turned into opportunity for the Bobcats as three straight victories have given them an 8-2 conference record with two games left against Bisbee and Pima.
Thatcher is currently 9-2, and Willcox dropped to third place with the loss against Benson.
This week the Bobcats will not only be playing for the conference, but also a better seeding at state. They hosted Bisbee Tuesday night, and will travel to a tough venue on Thursday night to play Pima.
In three games of total domination last week, the Benson Bobcats put on a clinic of how it's done, outscoring three opponents 191-109, including conference leaders Thatcher and Willcox.
Seniors said early this season that a goal in 2A East Conference play was to finally beat Thatcher. The seniors had never done that and they entered last Tuesday's game with a 0-10 record, including a 12-point loss earlier this season.
The first quarter showed a Bobcats' team on a mission, as they jumped out to a 15-3 lead.
In the second quarter, Thatcher showed why they have led the conference for the last three years, cutting the Bobcats' lead to six before top-scorer Tyler Deneweth took over.
In the final four minutes of the first half, the senior scored 11 of his 24 points to give Benson a 34-20 lead.
"Our guys really competed and that's something that they've done consistently since mid-January," said Coach Chris Riehemann. "We out-rebounded them, and their guys are bigger than our guys at every spot on the court. I thought (Kjel Gudvangen with 13 rebounds) just played with such great energy, and he found a way to always be around the ball.
"Tyler did exactly what we expect him to do, and that's lead us to make shots. He is playing as well as anyone in the conference right now and it's not a coincidence that when he plays well, we play well."
The second half was all Benson, as they led 53-24 in the third quarter, and finished with a 58-33 victory.
Riehemann said another key to victory was senior Dain Dastrup, who finished with 18 points.
"Dain is going up against guys who are taller and he's done that all year long," Riehemann said. "He finds a way to score the ball and rebound."
After the home victory, Deneweth, Dastrup and fellow senior Kyle Graf said they were happy to finally beat the conference rival.
"I'm so happy, I'm going to Disneyland," Graf said.
On a serious note, Deneweth and Dastrup agreed that they didn't expect to win by such a large margin, but it felt good to do so.
"This is the best we've ever played," Deneweth said. "I think if we keep playing like this we are going to do really well."
Dastrup said it felt like a weight has been lifted, noting the team has always had potential, but now it's coming through on the court.
The strong play continued Thursday night when the Bobcats hosted Morenci in another conference game. The game was no problem for the driving Bobcats, in a decisive 62-26 victory.
Dastrup led the charge with 17 points, while Deneweth put up 14.
With two wins in a row, the Bobcats went into Monday night's game in a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Thatcher and Willcox. Looking for bragging rights and a conference title, which comes with a plaque, the Bobcats were in a must-win situation.
The Bobcats lost to Willcox early in the season, playing without Graf who had a fractured foot.
In this game, Graf made his presence known, scoring a season-high 24 points.
In the first half, the Bobcats jumped out to a 10-2 lead, but Willcox's Shane Hicks and Rudy Verdugo kept chipping away at the lead to keep the Cowboys in the game.
In the low-scoring half, Benson went into halftime with a narrow 25-21 lead.
The second half was all Benson, as Graf and Gudvangen came out firing.
Gudvangen started the half with seven points, including a three-pointer to give Benson a 30-21 lead.
Graf hit two shots from outside before the end of the quarter, and Benson held a commanding 49-33 lead.
Graf said he got some open shots in the second half, but noted the team continues to get better each game to make Benson one of the top teams in the 2A East Conference.
"Playing Willcox is a game we look forward to all year," Graf said. "I think this team is peaking at the right time, and we are looking forward to what we can accomplish in the games coming up."
In the team effort, where Dastrup had 13 points and Deneweth finished with 11, the Bobcats spread the ball around in the fourth quarter, making the shots and bringing down the rebounds to win 71-50.
"Anytime you go on the road to Willcox and win, you're pretty pleased," Riehemann said. "They are one of the top teams in the east and it's nice to get one there. I was really pleased with how Tyler, Kyle and Dain scored, but I thought Alex (Montijo), (Gudvangen), (Ryan Meza), (Derek Elsmore) and (Mike Rowe) really gave us some positive things off the bench."
Those positives have turned into opportunity for the Bobcats as three straight victories have given them an 8-2 conference record with two games left against Bisbee and Pima.
Thatcher is currently 9-2, and Willcox dropped to third place with the loss against Benson.
This week the Bobcats will not only be playing for the conference, but also a better seeding at state. They hosted Bisbee Tuesday night, and will travel to a tough venue on Thursday night to play Pima.
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