The main issue facing the Patagonia High boys basketball team seems simple enough. Where it gets complicated is finding the solution.
“We’ve got to find ways to score more points,” coach Nate Porter said as the Lobos prepared for the home stretch of their season following the holiday break.
Patagonia entered the break on a high note: a 71-33 victory over Lourdes Catholic on Dec. 18. It was a well-balanced effort. Isaiah Ruiz had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Leo Nunez also scored 12, Diego Carranza contributed 10 points and five steals, and Arturo Magallanes also had five steals to go along with eight points.
The victory improved the Lobos’ record to 7-11 – including a 3-7 mark in a pair of early season tournaments.
The 71 points matched a season high, but such scoring outbursts have been rare. For the season, the Lobos are averaging 37.9 points per game. Turnovers (22.8 per game) have been a primary culprit, and a shooting percentage of 30.8 hasn’t helped.
“Ball handling is still a struggle for us, making baskets is a struggle for us,” Porter said. “But I’ve also learned it’s a great group of kids that have worked hard every day to get better. And the defense, team defense, has come a long, long way.
“You’ve got to get into the 50s to win in 1A, and we’re not there. We work really hard on defense and the boys really hustle, but you’ve got to score points. We’re continuing to work to find ways to do that.”
Patagonia’s busy early season schedule included six games—three wins, three losses—in three days at the Williams Route 66 Holiday Classic.
“It was a great experience,” Porter said. “A lot of the kids had never been north of Phoenix. It was fun for them. They got to see and play a lot of basketball. And we got better.”
The Lobos have gone 2-3 since returning from the tournament.
In a 54-45 victory over San Manuel, Carranza had 24 points and seven steals, Ruiz had nine points and 11 rebounds, and Johnny Fields scored nine points and recorded six steals. “We played very well offensively that game, but not very well defensively,” Porter said. “We haven’t put it all together yet. We’re still working on it.”
Porter was more pleased with the effort in a 51-37 loss on Dec. 16 to Ray, which was undefeated at the time. Carranza had 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, and Ruiz contributed eight points and eight rebounds.
The emergence of Ruiz and of junior guard Sebastian Padilla have been positive developments. “Sebastian Padilla has gone from the end of the varsity bench to a starter. And Isaiah Ruiz has really improved as well,” Porter said.
The Lobos have nine games remaining in the regular season, returning from their break on Jan. 4 with a home game against St. David.
“We’re about where I thought we’d be, but we’re getting better, and that’s what you want,” Porter said. “We’ll see what happens from this point on. Christmas break can kind of make or break a team. I hope we can keep the momentum we have right now.”