Camp Verde started off its weekend right as boys basketball defeated Sedona 68-52 on Friday, Jan. 18.
“I did not think our energy was great tonight but we executed in the second half to give us a chance down the stretch,” Camp Verde coach Dan Wall said. “Credit to Sedona for making it difficult for us on the offensive end of the floor.”
The Cowboys extended their winning streak to nine games and improved to 19-2 this season.
Camp Verde wins the season series as the Cowboys previously defeated Sedona 69-24 on Friday, Dec. 21.
“Give Sedona a lot of credit, they shot the ball well and made it difficult for us tonight,” Wall said. “Camp Verde andSedona will always be an intense, competitive matchup with these two teams bringing the best out of each other.”
The Cowboys came out firing, much like the first time these two teams tangled, and took a 5-0 lead over Sedona in the opening minutes.
Scorpions forward Joey Johnson countered with a 3-pointer at the other end to halt Camp Verde’s momentum.
Sedona trailed the Cowboys the entire first quarter but battled hard and hung close.
While Camp Verde led Sedona 23-19 after one quarter, the Cowboys were plagued by inconsistency.
“We were not very pleased tonight with our defense, particularly in the first quarter,” Wall said. “We played a little better in the second half but we must improve our rebounding and close outs.”
After both teams traded baskets, Scorpion Micha Johnson found a streaking Evan Favorite to tie the game at 25.
Camp Verde responded with a quick six-point outburst with Cowboys guard Jose Salas-Zarilla leading the charge.
At halftime, Camp Verde led Sedona 37-27.
Sedona cut Camp Verde’s advantage to 37-32 to open the third but the Cowboys would dig deep and pull away.
Salas-Zarilla and Jason Collier sparked a quick 7-0 Cowboys run to extend Camp Verde’s lead to 44-32.
After three quarters, Camp Verde led Sedona 48-40.
Camp Verde’s offense prevailed in the fourth quarter with 20 points to close out Sedona 68-52.
Collier led all scorers with 21 points on 7-15 shooting and also converted five 3-pointers.
“Jason played well particularly from an offensive standpoint but he is improving on the defensive end,” Wall said.
Camp Verde guard Abe Gonzalez accumulated 17 points while C.J. Bast added 14 points and 15 rebounds.
“Bast had a really tough game for us and I thought Abe battled really hard tonight against Favorite,” Wall said.
Salas-Zarilla earned another start Friday and scored 14 points while also registering six steals.
“Chino [Salas-Zarilla] learns and grows every game. That kid is like a sponge when it comes to absorbing knowledge and going with it,” Wall said. “His competitive level is increasing every night and he is playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Salas-Zarilla has been the Cowboys’ dead-eye shooter this season with 32 3-pointers at 43 percent efficiency.
“He is buying into what we are doing and it is great to have a guy like that,” Wall said.
Wall also singled out Cowboys forward Mason Rayburn for his key contributionsoff the bench.
“Rayburn had some really clutch steals in the fourth quarter to help us seal the win,” Wall said.
Camp Verde’s winning streak came to an end, however, on Saturday,Jan. 20, as the Cowboys lost to Glendale Preparatory Academy 73-61.
Bast led Camp Verde with 16 points and six rebounds as the Cowboys dropped to 19-3 this season.
Despite the loss, Camp Verde remains in first in the 2A Central at 6-1 in regional and conference play.
“We have to stay engaged mentally every day in practiceand take care of our details,” Wall said.
The Cowboys return to the hardwood on Tuesday, Jan. 22, when Camp Verde battles North Pointe Preparatory.
Camp Verde’s next home game is Saturday, Jan. 26, when the Cowboys host Valley Lutheran.
Tipoff is at 6 p.m.
