Coyotes use charity for rival win
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s BriAnn Houghton (1) tries to find some space over Madera South’s Treasurai Thomas during Madera’s victory Friday.
The Madera Coyotes took advantage of heading to the charity stripe to record a come-from-behind victory over the Madera South Stallions in Joe Flores Gym.
The Coyotes trailed the Stallions by 11 points with a little more than six minutes left in the game. The Coyotes then went on a 17-0 run, scoring nine points from the free throw line to clinch a 47-39 victory Friday.
“Our experience as a program showed tonight,” Madera head coach Jason Smith said. “We weren’t patient, but our experience of having been there before served us well tonight. Our younger players worked their behinds off.”
The Stallions were called for 19 fouls in the second half, 12 in the fourth quarter, that helped the Coyotes come back into the game. In the fourth quarter, Madera went 14-of-20 from the line.
“We had a good game going until they started making the calls,” Madera South head coach Johnny Sharp said. “All of their points came from the free throw line, pretty much. We didn’t get any extra shots.”
The Stallions were called for 28 fouls in the game. Madera went to the free throw line 40 times and made 23 for 58 percent. Meanwhile, the Stallions were 10-of-20 from the free throw line.
“We’ve been playing good, disciplined basketball,” Sharp said. “The kids have been buying into what we’re teaching them. To be honest, you work so hard to get them mentally prepared for a game and then have the game like this. We were in control of this game. We were putting them away. The tide then changed on us for no reason for what happened on the court.”
BriAnn Houghton led the Coyotes with 15 points. Alyssa Fernandez added 12 points. Sofia Perez scored seven and Lexi Carmona scored six.
“Lexi and Alyssa were outstanding tonight defensively,” Smith said. “We did a good job of playing defense with our feet. If we could frustrate their guards, we will have the advantage. As we started coming back, you saw those things come to fruition.”
Madera South guards Aleecia Rosel and Lexi Eller combined for 33 of Madera South’s 39 points (85 percent of the team’s total). Four other players scored for Madera South. However, three players fouled out, including Eller, who led the team with 18 points.
Madera South got off to the quick start with a bucket from Rosel and a 3-pointer from Eller.
The Coyotes came back with a short jumper from Houghton and a 3-point play to tie the score.
Eller scored eight straight Madera South points for a 13-6 lead. Madera battled back with a 3-point play from Fernandez and a 15-foot jumper from Rios at the first quarter buzzer to get within two.
Fernandez opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer for a Coyotes lead. Rosel hit another 3-pointer and Treasurai Thomas made two free throws for a 18-14 lead.
After the Coyotes missed seven straight shots, including a free throw, free throws from Camile DeAnda and Janessa Fernandes got the Coyotes within two.
Eller gave the Stallions a four-point lead with a runner in the lane. DeAnda found Houghton for a layup to stay within two.
Rosel made two of three free throws to open a 22-18 lead heading into the half.
Madera South got free throws from Jonese Feliu and Rosel for a six-point lead. Fernandez made two free throws to cut the lead by two.
However, the Stallions went on an 8-1 run. Eller went coast-to-coast on a rebound and layup. Rosel hit a 10-foot jumper, made a layup and another jumper for a 32-21 lead. The Coyotes couldn’t buy a shot other than a Carmona free throw. The Coyotes missed eight field goals in Madera South’s run.
The Coyotes battled back with a short jumper from Perez and two free throws from Houghton to get within seven, although Madera went just 1-of-15 from the field in the third quarter.
Two free throws from Rosel and a layup from Lei’Nya Bartlow opened a 36-25 Madera South lead.
After Fernandez made two free throws, Eller made another layup for a 38-27 Madera South lead.
From there, the Coyotes kept the Stallions off the scoreboard for the next six minutes. Madera South didn’t score again until Arelis Chavez made a free throw with 34.8 seconds left in the game.
After opening the quarter with two straight field goals, the Stallions missed their final nine shots from the field and committed 11 turnovers.
Carmona started the run with a layup and Perez made one-of-two free throws to cut the lead to single digits.
DeAnda made two free throws to cut the lead to six. Madera couldn’t score on its next five possessions with four turnovers.
Madeleine McNeil made a free throw and Carmona and Houghton made two each to cut the Madera South led to 38-37 with 2:57 left in the game.
After a steal by Carmona, Perez made a layup to give the Coyotes the lead. After a Perez blocked shot, Fernandez got a steal and turned it into a layup for a 41-38 lead.
Madera missed six shots, including two free throws, on its next possession, but finally ended it with a short Houghton jumper to increase the lead to five.
Houghton finished the run with a free throw with 1:07 left in the game for a 44-38 lead.
After Arelis Chavez made a free throw, Carmona made one and DeAnda made two more for a 47-39 final.
