Shooting woes down Coyotes at tournament
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Elias Torres tries to drive the lane during Tuesday’s loss to the Fowler Redcats at the Central Valley Invitational at Madera South. Torres led the Coyotes with 10 points.
The Madera Coyotes boys basketball team had trouble finding the bucket and the Fowler Redcats took advantage for a 44-33 victory in the Central Valley Invitational semifinals at Madera South.
The Coyotes shot 20 percent (12-of-60) from the field and just 11 percent (3-of-28) from 3-point range in Tuesday’s loss. The Coyotes were just 1-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half and just 4-of-31 from the field in the second half.
Elias Torres led the Coyotes with 10 points to go with 10 rebounds. Stevie Estrada added nine points to go with eight rebounds and five steals.
JoJo Pickens also scored nine points with six rebounds.
Fowler opened the scoring with three straight points before Estrada scored down low. The Redcats opened the lead to five before Estrada scored down low. He answered a Fowler bucket with a spin move to the basket for a short jumper.
Pickens put back a miss to cut the Fowler lead to one.
The Redcats hit a 3-pointer, but Pickens put back another miss to cut the lead to two.
Fowler hit a 3-pointer and added a bucket while Estrada hit a short jumper for a 17-12 Redcats’ lead.
Fowler opened the second quarter scoring with a short bucket, but more than four minutes passed before either team scored.
Estrada made a free throw, followed by a Shovawn Gonzales layup and a Torres 3-pointer to cut the lead to 19-18.
However, Fowler went on a 16-2 run heading into the third quarter to take control of the game.
The Redcats started the run with a pull-up jumper for a 21-18 lead at the half. Fowler scored the first six points of the second half to open the lead to nine.
Pickens paused the run with a five-foot floater, but Fowler came back with three field goals and two free throws for a 35-20 lead.
Torres stopped the run with a pair of free throws. The Coyotes tried to get back in the game when Estrada came up with a pair of steals, but Madera turned the ball over and missed a 3-pointer.
Fowler then hit a 3-pointer, but Jazir Alejandre answered with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 38-25 at the end of the third quarter.
Fowler opened the fourth quarter with a bucket, but Torres hit two free thros. Fowler came back with a pair of buckets before Torres hit a 3-pointer.
Pickes put back a miss to cut the lead to 12 with about three minutes left in the quarter.
Both teams couldn’t find the bucket over the final three minutes of the game. Madera missed four straight shots and kept Fowler off the scoreboard with five turnovers, but couldn’t take advantage.
Alejandre hit a free throw with 42 seconds left for the final point of the game.
