Big first half leads Coyotes
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Alek Trukki brings the ball up the court during Friday’s victory over Madera South. He scored a game-high 20 points, with 18 coming on six 3-pointers.
The Madera Coyotes boys basketball team got a hot-shooting performance from Alek Trukki and forced 33 turnovers for a 51-34 victory over Madera South.
Trukki hit six 3-pointers in the first three quarters to score a game-high 20 points to lead the Coyotes. Madera jumped out to a 30-14 lead and stretched the lead to 20 before a 16-point victory Friday in Joe Flores Gym.
“We changed it up a little bit,” said coach Wesley Lee, filling in for Jason Lozano, who was awaiting the birth of his child. “We stretched it out to a full-court, man press. Trukki got hot. We got some more movement for him. He’s our shooter so we needed to knock some shots down.”
Kecian Primes and Eli Barrios each scored seven points. David Monges and Fawzet Saed added six points each.
“We have some good guards,” Lee said. “I think they are the best guards in the valley. They lock down and they like to play defense. We get everything from our guards.”
Jessie Ford led the Stallions with 16 points to go with 12 rebounds.
The Stallions could turn to two key points in the loss. They forced the Coyotes into foul trouble, but only made 14-of-29 free throws (48 percent). However, Madera South hurt itself with 33 turnovers, including five offensive fouls. They also didn’t have another player score more than six points.
Jayshawn Thomas converted a 3-point play to open the scoring for the Stallions. From there, the Coyotes got a layup from Primes and Barrios for a 4-3 lead.
Madera South added to its lead from the free throw line. Jeremiah Gonzalez made one-of-three free throws. Daniel Valdez then hit three for a 7-4 lead.
However, in the final 30 seconds of the quarter, Trukki hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 10-7 lead.
Trukki kept up his hot shooting with a 3-pointer to open the second quarter.
Madera South’s Isaiah Tyler made a free throw and Ford made three more to cut the Coyotes’ lead to 13-11.
From there, the Coyotes went on a 13-0 run beginning with a Saed bucket off a Primes assist.
Trukki sank another 3-pointer, then got a steal and made a layup to extend the lead to nine. On the following possession, Trukkit hit another 3-pointer while David Monges sank another on the next Coyotes’ possession for a 26-11 lead.
Ford stopped the run with a free throw, but Kevin Berdejo answered for the Coyotes with a layup. Thomas made a short jumper, but Berdejo made two free throws with 33.1 seconds left for a 30-14 halftime lead. Madera South only made one field goal in the quarter and took just five shots while getting outscored 20-7.
Saed opened the second half with a 10-foot jumper, but Julian Galvan scored down low for the Stallions. Ford scored off an assist from Thomas and Ford put back a missed shot to cut the Coyotes’ lead to 12 midway through the third.
After a Barrios free throw, Ford sank another bucket to cut the lead to 11. Barrios found Saed for another 10-foot jumper.
Ford added a layup to keep the lead at 11.
With less than a minute left in the third, Trukki hit a 3-pointer and Monges, like he did in the second quarter, closed a quarter with a 3-pointer for a 41-24 Coyotes’ lead.
Ford found Garet Waits for a jumper to open the fourth quarter scoring for the Stallions.
Barrios got a steal and made a layup and Primes hit a short jumper to get Madera South’s lead to 19.
Ford and Zachary Roque traded free throws. Ford added a layup, but Primes hit a 3-pointer for a 49-29 Coyotes lead.
Jared Guglielman answered with a free throw for the Stallions. Barrios made two more for Madera. Gonzalez hit a jumper and Lucas Samaniego made a free throw. However, Madera South had trouble making field goals and didn’t hit one for the final 1:42.
Madera South’s final score was a Ford free throw.
