Coyotes finish tourney 1-3
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera's Cathy Figueroa drives to the hoop for two of her game-high 19 points in a victory over Firebaugh on Thursday during the Madera Shootout in Joe Flores Gym.
After picking up its first win of its own tournament, the Madera Coyotes girls basketball team finished against the two best teams and suffered losses.
The Coyotes bounced back from a last second loss to open the tournament Wednesday for a 56-40 victory over Firebaugh on Thursday before losing to Garces-Bakersfield 61-35 and Fresno, 60-26.
The Coyotes, who have been trying to find a go-to scorer, found one against Garces on Saturday. Madeleine McNeil scored a career-high 21 points, with 17 in the first half, to help the Madera offense.
With McNeil, the Coyotes led the Rams after the first quarter, 16-15. Despite allowing 16 second quarter points, the Coyotes trailed 31-25 at the half.
However, Madera was outscored 30-10 in the second half.
While McNeil had a career night, the rest of the Coyotes produced just 14 points with no player scoring more than five points. McNeil was the only player that scored in the second quarter and the Coyotes were limited to just four points in the fourth quarter.
Madera tried keep winning on Friday against Fresno after the win against Firebaugh. Unfortunately, the Coyotes were limited to just 10 points in the first half while the Warriors jumped out to a 30-10 halftime lead.
Madera scored 16 points in the second half, but Fresno scored 30 more points for the victory.
McNeil didn’t score a point a night after scoring 21 points. Cathy Figueroa led the Coyotes with 13 points. However, the rest of the team scored 13 points with no player scoring more than four points. Only four players scored against the Warriors.
However, the Coyotes picked up their only win of the tournament Thursday after a devastating last-second loss to Mendota the night before.
Figueroa led all scorers with 19 points to lead 10 different players in scoring with no other players in double figures.
Figueroa also had six rebounds and three steals. McNeil scored nine points with 11 points, six offensive rebounds and four blocks.
Madera shot better than 40 percnt from the field (22-of-53) to make up for shooting just 53 percent (15-for-28) from the free throw line.
Madera scored the first eight points of the game with Sofia Perez scoring off the opening tip won by BriAnn-Houghton.
Figueroa scored off an assist from Miranda Solis. Houghton put back an offensive rebound and made a free throw for a 3-point play and Figueroa added a free throw.
Solis put back an offensive rebound after Firebaugh scored its first points of the game. After the Eagles converted a 3-point play, Stephanie Jordan hit a 3-pointer and Houghton put back a missed free throw to get the lead to 10.
Sayra Chavez hit a short jumper and Kaylee Patlan pulled down a rebound and found Figueroa for a layup. The Eagles hit a 3-pointer to cut Madera’s lead to 19-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Firebaugh scored back-to-back layups to cut the lead to five before Figueroa scored on a layup and a free throw. Perez made a free throw for a nine-point lead before a Firebaugh 3-pointer.
McNeil put back a missed shot and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but Katelynn Fernandez was there for the putback and a 10-point lead.
After Figueroa made a free throw, Firebaugh hit three straight 3-pointers and a free throw to cut Madera’s lead to one with 19.9 seconds left in the half. Figueroa closed the first half with a layup to give Madera a 30-27.
Perez opened the second half scoring with a short bucket, but Firebaugh got back to one with a four-point play (a 3-pointer and a free throw).
McNeil put back a missed shot to get the lead back to three. She added two free throws and Jordan scored on a driving jumper. Two more free throws from Chavez gave the Coyotes an 8-0 run.
Houghton helped Madera extend the run to 10 with a defensive rebound. She found Jordan, who found Figueroa for a layup and a 42-31 lead.
Gracie Castellanos answered a Firebaugh bucket with one of her own to close the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead.
After the Eagles made two free throws, McNeil made a short jumper and Figueroa made a layup.
Firebaugh made a layup and a 3-pointer between a Figueroa free throw. However, Madera closed the game with a 7-0 run — two Solis free throws, a McNeil putback, a Houghton putback and a Figueroa free throw — for a 56-40 victory.
