Game #21- January 18, 2013
Gilbert Hits
Late Free Throws to Sink Dobson
By Kyle Odegard, Tribune
Last week, Gilbert boys basketball coach Jay Caserio was lamenting
all the late leads his team had given up this year by missing free
throws, and hoped the trend would change in the second half of the
season.
That wish was granted, at least for a night.
Click here to find out more!
The fifth-ranked Tigers buried all eight of their free throw
attempts in the final 33.7 seconds to hold on for a 66-62 victory
over host Dobson in a Division I matchup Friday night.
Gilbert (16-5) took a two-point lead on a put-back lay-up by Truman
Moore with 1:07 remaining, and after Conner Helvig forced a turnover
to get the ball back, the Tigers calmly sank the free throws, never
allowing the Mustangs within one possession.
“Can you believe that?” Caserio said. “The first half of the year we
had leads like that late and lost four out of five games just
because we couldn’t put the ball in the hole...It kind of evened out
a little bit I guess tonight.”
Dobson’s best chance came with 18.4 seconds remaining when Brian
Nichols scored a lay-up and was fouled. The bucket cut the deficit
to 62-60, but his free throw rolled off and Spencer Nicolds and
Andre Mauro each hit a pair from the charity stripe to clinch the
victory.
The Tigers were led by sophomore forward Truman Moore, who had 17
points, nine rebounds and three blocks before exiting with a knee
injury when he fouled Nichols late.
Ryan Richardson had 20 points on 8-of-10 from the field to lead
Dobson (14-8), which has now lost two in a row. The Mustangs were
without leading scorer Jaron Hopkins against Desert Ridge on Tuesday
and he didn’t plan to play in this one until a pep talk from coach
Rick McConnell’s sons, Mickey and Matt.
Hopkins grabbed shoes from his car and didn’t reach the bench until
two minutes had elapsed in the first quarter.
He finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four
assists.
Kodi Justice is also sick as the Mustangs are hoping to survive this
stretch without dropping too much in the power point standings.
|
TEAM |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
|
GILBERT |
13 |
14 |
15 |
24 |
66 |
|
DOBSON |
11 |
18 |
16 |
17 |
62 |
|
|
PLAYER
|
ASST
|
REB
|
STL
|
2PT
|
3PT
|
FT
|
PTS
|
TO
|
|
Mosley
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1-2
|
0-1
|
2-2
|
4
|
1
|
|
Thomas
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2-2
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
|
Nicolds
|
1
|
4
|
-
|
0-2
|
0-1
|
2-2
|
2
|
-
|
|
Spires
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Helvig
|
1
|
7
|
2
|
2-7
|
1-5
|
5-6
|
12
|
2
|
|
Reber
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
3-4
|
1-1
|
-
|
9
|
-
|
|
Miller
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Mauro
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4-4
|
4
|
1
|
|
Lowell
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Aranda
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Bryant
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
2-3
|
0-1
|
1-2
|
5
|
3
|
|
Poelman
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Moore
|
1
|
9
|
1
|
7-14
|
-
|
3-5
|
17
|
2
|
|
Valladolid
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
3-5
|
1-1
|
-
|
9
|
2
|
|
TOTAL
|
11
|
31
|
11
|
20-39
|
3-10
|
17-21
|
66
|
11
|
|
PCT
|
|
|
|
51%
|
30%
|
81%
|
|
|
Late FTs pace
Gilbert boys past Dobson for 6th straight win
By Les Willsey aia365
Gilbert boys basktball coach Jay Caserio got a Christmas present he
wasn't able to unwrap until after the holidays. Caserio won't be
returning it (him).
Andre Mauro, who transferred to Gilbert High at the holiday break,
made four of the eight free throws the Tigers sank in the final 33
seconds Friday night to help post a 66-62 win over host Dobson in a
Division I contest. Gilbert has won six games in a row and is 16-5
overall and 11-2 in power-ranking games. Dobson slipped to 14-8, 8-5
prg.
Caserio received a phone call during final exam week in late
December from his athletic secretary who had Mauro's mother on the
phone. She was interested in enrolling her son at Gilbert and
Caserio made sure he took the call. Mauro appeared in only his
fourth game on Friday.
"He's come in and picked up on the stuff we do very well," Caserio
said. "It's amazing. The team has bought into him big time."
Mauro, a junior who serves as a backup point guard, scored just the
four points. The first two free throws with 33 seconds left supplied
the Tigers with a four-point lead they stuck to through the finish.
Dobson answered two free throws three times to trail by two each
time, but Mauro clinched it with two more with 8.3 seconds left.
Conner Helvig and Spencer Nicolds were two-for-two apiece from the
line in between Mauro's four tosses.
Earlier in the final quarter, Dobson appeared to have taken command
with an impetus supplied by leading scorer Jaron Hopkins. Hopkins,
who missed Tuesday's 91-80 los to Desert Ridge with flu-like
symptoms, wasn't feeling too chipper Friday. Hopkins originally
decided he couldn't play, but with persistent urging from coaches,
teammates and fans he dressed and entered the game at the
five-minute mark of the first period.
Hopkins (11 points) played a solid game considering he wasn't 100
percent. He made a couple steals leading to a pair of baskets -- one
a thunderous dunk -- that put Dobson ahead, 56-52, with 3:30 to
play. A string of bad possessions by Dobson, however, over the next
two minutes allowed Gilbert to tie and take the lead for good on a
putback by post Truman Moore (team-high 17 points) with 1:03 left.
"We did a lot of good things, and Jaron playing gave us a lift,"
Dobson coach Rick McConnell said. "Kodi (Justice) has been getting
over pneumonia so we've had to battle through some sickness, We
needed some better possessions late in the game."
Dobson got an excellent game out of guard Ryan Richardson, who
finished with a game-high 20 points. Twelve came in the third period
on 5-of--5 shooting from the field. The Mustangs manage to lead at
halftime by way of three-point shooting. They made five treys in the
first half and finished with seven. Carson Glick, who started in
place of Hopkins made three 3s in five attempts. His final one came
in the fourth period helping Dobson to its 56-52 lead. Helvig
finished in double figures for Gilbert with 12, but had a tough
night shooting from the field (3-for-13). |
