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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Friday, December 10, 1999
Eagles' shots go south against Westerners
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
MONAHANS, Dec. 10, 1999 -- The Pecos Eagles' one-week break from varsity
basketball play lasted about one quarter too long Thursday, as they couldn't
find their shooting touch and dug themselves into an early hole against
Lubbock High at the Monahans Sandhills Tournament.
The Eagles fell behind Lubbock by a 16-2 score after the first eight
minutes of play and never were able to cut into that lead, as the Westerners
scored a 78-48 victory in the opening round of the tournament.
Pecos' loss dropped them to 0-5 this season and into a 1:30 p.m. game
today against El Paso Austin
Ryan Randle scored 15 points for Lubbock High, which used its height
advantage inside and took advantage of a series of turnovers that set up
guards T.J. Coleman (10 points) and Jose Perez (14) for some fast break
lay-ups.
"We played better, really" said Eagles' coach Tino Acosta. "As long
as we keep improving we'll be all right."
"We had some turnovers, but that's a sign of a young team. I thought
we grew up a lot tonight, because I saw a lot of improvement. We're headed
down the right path because we played them tough."
After falling behind by 14 right off the bat, the Eagles stayed with
Lubbock High for the rest of the half, getting some fast-break baskets
of their own. A three-pointer by Alex Garcia closed the gap to 28-18, but
in the final minute of the period Pecos allowed Perez to score and be fouled
after a steal, and when he missed his free throw Isaiah Amana scored off
the rebound for a 32-18 lead. Randle then scored after a steal and Coleman
hit two free throws with five seconds left in the half, widening the margin
to 18.
The end of the third period also was a problem for Pecos. After Chris
Natividad hit a 3-pointer and a lay-up to make it 48-30, Perez and Tim
Mendez got open for 3s of their own as part of a 10-2 run that put the
Westerners up by 26 going into the final period.
Garcia led the Eagles with 13 points, while Hector Rodriguez also was
in double figures for Pecos with 10.
The Eagles will face another team that will have a height advantage
over them today in Austin, but the Golden Panthers were beaten last night
by Monahans, 68-58, after Loboes' coach John Curry was honored before the
game for his 500th career victory. Pecos' District 2-4A rival
Mountain View defeated Fort Stockton, 48-45, and El Paso Irvin routed Alpine,
75-39, in Thursday's other opening round games.
PECOS (48)
Weidner 2 0-0 4; R. Rodriguez 0 0-0 0; Salazar 2 0-2
4; Rayos 2 2-5 6; Natividad 3 0-0 7; A. Garcia 4 2-2 13; Chavez 1 0-0 3;
S. Garcia 0 0-0 0; Tarin 0 1-2 1; H. Rodriguez 5 0-1 10; Terrazas 0 0-0
0. Totals 19 5-12 48.
LUBBOCK HIGH (78)
Perez 6 0-3 14; Mendez 3 2-2 9; Maldonado 1 0-0 2; Coleman
3 4-5 10; Schott 0 0-0 0; Johnson 2 2-2 6; Abonobi 1 4-6 6; Amana 3 0-0
6; Baker 0 0-0 0; Shoukefeh 0 0-0 0; Randle 6 3-4 15; Holley 4 0-0 8. Totals
29 17-24 78.
Pecos
2 16 14 16 - 48
Lubbock High 15
21 22 20 - 78
Three-point goals: Pecos 5 (A. Garcia 3, Natividad,
Chavez), Lubbock High 3 (Perez 2, Mendez). Fouled out: None. Total
fouls: Pecos 18, Lubbock High 16.
Patience pays for Monahans against Pecos
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
MONAHANS, Dec. 10, 1999 -- As far as talent goes, there really wasn't
much of a difference between the Pecos Eagles and the Monahans Loboes on
Thursday, in their opening round game at the Loboes' Sandhills Tournament.
But as far as executing their plays on offense, the Loboes were far
more patient than the Eagles in taking their time to set up shots, and
that paid off in a 45-32 win over Pecos, which remained winless on the
season.
"We had moments were we just stood and watched, and that's what I explained
to the girls," said Eagles' coach Brian Williams. "The girls can't just
stand around and watch Maricela (Arenivas) with the ball. They need to
move and set picks."
Arenivas, who has been more aggressive on offense in Pecos' last two
games, led the Eagles with 12 points, but could have had more, except for
6-for-14 shooting from the foul line. That was part of an 11-for-29 effort
overall by Pecos from the line.
"I think that's what stood out mainly tonight. We have to take advantage
when we get to the line," said Williams. "She (Arenivas) is a lot better
free throw shooter than that. That's why we run them in practice and then
put them on the free throw line. Anyone can shoot free throws when they're
not tired, but you've got to be able to do it out there."
Monahans was just as bad at the other end, going 9-for-24 from the line.
But most of their misses came in the second half, after they had taken
a 21-13 lead, and several times the Loboes were able to get inside the
Eagles for the rebound and put-back lay-ups, which kept them ahead by no
fewer than nine points the rest of the way.
The Loboes scored the game's first eight points and led 10-1 before
baskets by Arenivas and Philly Fobbs cut the lead to 10-7 going into the
second period. But the Eagles could manage just two baskets in the second
period, and none in the first four minutes of the quarter, allowing the
Loboes to go back out to an eight-point lead.
Monahans was able to work the ball around for long periods several times,
before coming up with baskets off lay-ups or jumpers. That included a jumper
from Amanda Krone just before halftime and a 3-pointer from Mandy Fuentes
as the third period ended, which put Monahans ahead 30-17.
Baskets by Alexa Marquez and Fobbs and two foul shots by Arenivas cut
that back to nine with five minutes to play, but the rest of the game was
mostly a foul shooting contest, with Pecos going just 4-for-11 the rest
of the way, while losing both Fobbs and Marquez to fouls.
Fobbs finished with nine points, but overall the Eagles managed just
10 field goals in the game. Krone's 10 was high for the Loboes, who got
all but one player into the scoring column.
The Eagles loss dropped them into a noon game today against El Paso
High, which lost their opener to Lamesa, 48-20. The Eagles' district rival
Fabens fell to Reagan County, 36-22 and El Paso Irvin beat Fort Stockton,
68-30, in the other tournament games.
PECOS (32)
C. Arenivas 0 0-0 0; Rodriguez 0 0-0 0; Marquez 2 0-0
5; Molinar 0 0-1 0; Quiroz 0 2-4 2; M. Arenivas 3 6-14 12; Medrano 0 2-4
2; Lara 1 0-0 2; Fobbs 4 1-6 9. Totals 10 11-29 32.
MONAHANS (45)
Romo 2 1-2 5; Fuentes 2 3-4 8; Krone 4 2-8 10; Setzler
2 2-4 6; Bates 1 1-2 3; Swan 1 0-2 2; Chavez 0 0-0 0; Melius 3 1-2 7; Bates
2 0-0 4. Totals 16 9-24 48.
Pecos
7 6 4 15 --32
Monahans 10 11 9
15 --45
Three-point goals: Pecos 1 (Marquez), Monahans
1 (Fuentes). Fouled out: Pecos, Fobbs, Marquez. Monahans, Bates.
Total fouls: Pecos 27, Monahans 28.
Swimmers in Seminole for pre-holiday meet
PECOS, Dec. 10, 1999 -- The Pecos Eagles will get in their final swim meet
before the Christmas holidays today and Saturday, and the boys will try
to keep their unbeaten streak going against their District 4-4A rivals,
plus a couple of Class 5A and New Mexico schools, at the Seminole Invitational.
Diving will be at 6 p.m. today and the swimming finals start at noon
Saturday. It's the last meet for Pecos until Jan. 8, when they go to Fort
Stockton.
Eagles' coach Terri Morse said Abilene was supposed to attend the meet,
but will not participate "We'll have all the schools from our district,
and Carlsbad, Hobbs and Artesia, and Odessa High and Pampa will also be
there," she said.
Morse had planned to send part of her squad to this weekend's TISCA
meet in Austin, but she said that meet was canceled, so the full team will
be in Seminole.
Pecos placed first on the boys' side and second on the girls side last
weekend at the Border Invitational in El Paso. Morse said for this week,
"I may move a couple of people around on the boys' side."
She also said she may adjust her lineup for the boys based on Pecos'
results so far against their Region I-4A rivals, though the girls' lineup
figures to remain about the same. "I don't have that luxury (depth) with
the girls. I have to see how they can do best at the district swim meet,
rather than looking ahead to where we can do best at regionals."
Before placing second to Alamogordo, the Eagle girls finished fourth
in their previous two meets, at home and in Monahans, with the Lobos and
Carlsbad placing first and second both times. Pecos' boys have won six
straight meets to open the season, and won last week in El Paso by over
200 points against a field of Class 4A and smaller 5A schools.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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