Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Janyah Spotwood drives the lane for a first quarter bucket in Tuesday’s loss to Clovis North. Spotwood led the team with eight points, and also led with seven points the next night in a loss to Hoover.  The week before the North Yosemite League season begins, the Madera Coyotes girls basketball team battled two teams in higher divisions to test where they are.  Unfortunately, the results came as expected with a 55-17 loss to Clovis

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Matilda Torres’ Steven Jamison gets his shot off in Saturday’s victory over Selma. Jamison led the Toros with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.  The Matilda Torres Toros boys basketball team got a good shooting night and put away the Selma Bears for a victory to celebrate the new year.  The Toros outscored Selma 17-6 in the fourth quarter for a 63-46 victory Saturday at Torres.  Torres shot 49 percent (22-of-45) from the field, including

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Alejandro Barajas sends a 3-pointer on target in Saturday’s loss to Lemoore. Barajas was one of nine Coyotes to score in the game.  SANGER — It seemed like the same thing that helped the Madera Coyotes boys basketball team in the first half of its match-up against Lemoore was the same thing that hurt them in the second half in a loss at Sanger’s Dean Nicholson Gym.  The Coyotes took a 31-26 lead into the halftime break. They hit four-o

The Madera Coyotes boys basketball team found itself in 12-point first half hole against the Matilda Torres Toros in a match-up before Christmas. The Coyotes battled back to tie the game and hold off the Toros for a 52-49 non-conference victory on December 23 at Torres. Stevie Estrada led the comeback with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He added four steals. Alex Rodriguez scored 14 points and Jeremiah Burk had 10 with five rebounds.

The Matilda Torres girls basketball team is looking for another run in the Div. V Central Section playoffs and took care of the Madera Coyotes before Christmas. The Toros outscored the Coyotes 39-8 in the first half and jumped out to a 51-13 third quarter lead before cruising to a 56-22 victory December 23 at Torres. The Toros had 10 different players score in victory, led by Kaylin Perez with 15 points and seven rebounds, five offensive.

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune The Liberty Hawks celebrate at center court after defeating the Yosemite Badgers, 28-26, to win the first Liberty Hawks Holiday Classic on December 20 at Liberty.  The Liberty Hawks girls basketball team were right where they wanted to be — in the championship game of its own tournament in the first year. However, they didn’t expect to be scoreless through the first quarter.  The Hawks just wanted to make things more interesting for their fans.