Lobo Boys Win Third in a Row

The Patagonia High boys basketball team continued its late-season surge Tuesday night with a 63-54 victory over North Phoenix Prep on Senior Night.

It was the third win in four days for the Lobos, who improved their overall season record to 11-12 and continued to make their case for a state tournament berth. Because their early season tournament games aren’t calculated for state tournament rankings, their “official” record is now 6-7, but all six of those victories have come in January. They are 6-2 since an overtime loss to 21-2 Bagdad at the Phoenix Suns’ arena on Dec. 27.

“That game in Phoenix set the bar for where we can be as a team,” senior co-captain Jaxon Yslava said. “The difference is we’re just putting everything together. Practices, just working on every little detail we missed out on, like communication. Our defense has really gotten better. After Christmas break we just really turned up our intensity.”

Patagonia entered Tuesday’s game ranked 24th in the Class 1A rankings—which would qualify them for the last of 24 playoff berths. With four games remaining over the next seven days, they are hoping to continue climbing in the rankings.

“We’re playing good basketball,” coach Nate Porter said. “I think our defensive intensity has turned it around, and on the offensive end, when we’re in the halfcourt we’re trying to execute, and we’re trying to push the ball. We want to get the ball out and move it and try to get some easy buckets.”

Their current three-game winning streak began with a 66-61 win over 15th-ranked Ray on Saturday night in a game that had to be moved to Nogales High School due to the leaky roof at Patagonia’s gym. Junior Kannon Shore scored a career-high 38 points, including 11 points in the third quarter and 12 in the fourth as the Lobos overcame a five-point halftime deficit and posted their highest scoring game of the season. Noah Gallardo added 14 points and Yslava scored nine.

Patagonia returned to action Monday at Tombstone and used a strong defensive effort for a 47-32 victory. Shore led the way again with 21 points, Gallardo added 11 and Gus Varela scored nine.

That set the stage for Tuesday night’s return to homecourt, where six seniors were honored before the game: Yslava, Gallardo, Varela, co-captain Gavin Arbizo, Diego Padilla and Miguel Albarran.

“It was just full of emotions,” Yslava said. “I started playing here in fourth grade, this has always been my homecourt. This is my last time ever being on this court in an official game. I’m really happy, but I’m also sad.”

The Lobos got off to a strong start, getting seven points from Shore en route to a quick 11-3 lead, but North Phoenix dominated on the boards in the second quarter to take a 31-28 lead at the half. Neither team led by more than three points throughout the third quarter, and the Lobos trailed 44-43 entering the final eight minutes.

Shore picked up his fourth foul seven seconds into the quarter, but Porter left him on the floor, and the Lobos ran off 11 consecutive points, taking a 54-44 lead on a drive by Yslava. North Phoenix closed within six, but a bucket by Shore and a three-pointer by Padilla restored the lead to 11 with 2:59 left, and the Lobos held on from there.

Shore led the Lobos with 19 points, Varela added 16 and Yslava had nine.

The Lobos have engineered their late-season surge despite not being at full strength. Starting center Arbizo has played sparingly due to an ankle injury, and Marco Vasquez and Varela have both missed games due to illness. That’s forced others to step up. On Tuesday night, it was junior center Alex Ruskowitz, who helped neutralize North Phoenix’s frontcourt.

“That’s what I told them,” Porter said. “I said one guy didn’t win tonight. Ten guys won tonight. That makes a difference.

“Alex was huge. I couldn’t take him off the court. I give (assistant) Coach (Ryan) Shore credit for that. He said Alex can take care of those big guys inside, because they were destroying us inside.”

The Lobos’ final four regular-season games are on the road: Thursday at Valley Union, Friday at San Manuel, Monday at Lourdes Catholic and next Tuesday at ASDB. Porter said they can’t afford to take anything for granted.

“We’ve proven we have the ability to lose to anyone,” he said with a laugh. “So we need to just keep trucking. We’re in a good place, but we’ve got to keep that momentum going.”