Coconino Beats Prescott 69-67 In A Wild Game Tuesday Night

It was billed as a possible game of the year in the 4A Grand Canyon Region and it lived up to the billing as the Coconino Panthers beat the Prescott Badgers in boys basketball, 69-67, to take the lead in the race for the region title. Coconino got off to a great start as the Panthers led after the first quarter, 17-8. The Badgers hit seven three pointers in the second quarter, including three from Jason Parent, to outscore Coconino 27-16 as the Badgers led at halftime, 35-32. The two teams went back and forth the rest of the way. Coconino had a two point lead with under a minute to play. Parent missed a shot and Coconino’s Rufus Cobb got the rebound and was fouled with about five seconds to play. He hit two free throws to seemingly put the game away with a 67-63 lead. The inbound pass was stolen by Coconino and Jordan Halloway was fouled by Prescott’s Chris Brown with :01.5 to play, but then both Panthers guard Mitchell Jacobson and Coconino head coach Mike Moran each received technical fouls. Halloway missed both free throws. Parent had four technical free throws to try and tie the game. He made two of the four, but Prescott would get to inbound the ball due to the technical fouls with a chance to tie or win. Freshman guard Uriah Tenette got the pass off the inbound, got a good look at a three-pointer for the win and just missed the shot and Coconino goes on to win the game. Cobb lead the Panthers with 15 points and Memphis James scored 11 in the win. Parent led Prescott with 31 points. With the victory, Coconino controls its own destiny for the region title as they will host the Bradshaw Mountain Bears Friday night. In girls action, Coconino beat Prescott 53-28. Flagstaff’s girls team beat Mohave at home, 71-35. The Flagstaff boys traveled to Mohave and beat the Thunderbirds, 59-39.