The Mingus Union High School boys basketball team lost a tough one at Prescott High School on Tuesday, Jan. 3, losing to the Badgers, 59-48.
“Our kids have come a long ways,” first-year Mingus Head Coach Mark Owens said. “We’ve already exceeded last year’s wins total and when you take a step back, it’s borderline inspirational.”
Owens, who was quite positive after an 11-point loss, was proud of his Marauders for playing as well as they did Tuesday.
Junior Rashonn Montgomery scored 20 points to lead the Marauders while junior Alex Brewer had 10 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
Coming off the bench, senior Luke Sanders contributed, scoring four points and recording four blocks as a reserve post player for Mingus.
Prescott jumped out to a 18-6 lead after the first quarter, and at one point, Mingus was down 11-0 to begin the game.
The two teams tied in the second quarter at 14-14, giving the Badgers a 32-20 lead at the half. Mingus trailed 44-28 after three quarters but outscored Prescott 21-15 in the fourth to bring the score just a bit closer.
“We played well after being down 11-0 to start. After that, we traded baskets with them the rest of the game. The kids played hard and competed. They executed our game plan. Sure, we weren’t able to get a win, but the kids are coming along,” Owens said.
With the loss, Mingus drops its overall record to 4-12 this season and is 1-5 in Arizona Interscholastic Association power point play.
Next up, Mingus is scheduled to host Bradshaw Mountain High School on Friday, Jan. 6. Bradshaw Mountain is coming off an 81-53 victory over Sedona Red Rock High School on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
