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Mayfield tied the game 44-44 at the end of Period 4 after sinking an inbound shot with 0.8 seconds left on the game clock. The Centennial Hawks could not recover the momentum in the four minutes of overtime, eventually falling at home 57-48.
Source: Las Cruces Public Schools (via LCPSTV on YouTube)
Video and Images: Courtesy
What a game to inaugurate publicly streamed high school basketball in our broader community! For those reading only the score, know how the margin of victory is not indicative of how close and exciting this game was. While the Trojans were able to pull away in the extra four minutes of overtime, the blow-for-blow back and forth action to reach the extra period was enough to make even the most ambivalent fans anxious for the rematch. [The game, streamed on YouTube, is provided in its entirety below.]
It was a battle from the tip-off as Centennial’s Kouliebchen Tou (#23) had his tip stolen by Mayfield’s Troy Mancillas (#30). Only seconds later, Hawks Guard, Johnny Renteria (#12) stripped the ball from a driving Hector Gallegos (#12). The Hawks broke to the goal and broke the seal for the first field goal of the game. At the end of the first period, the Trojans led 10-8. Both the Trojans and the Hawks ran deliberate offenses, picking their moments to drive.
The Trojan’s point guard, Ruben Rivera (#5), sank a buzzer beater at the end of the second period to give Mayfield a two-point lead. It was foreshadowing for what was yet to come.
The Hawks started the fourth period with a one-point lead, 33-32, and built the lead to 43-40 with a little under a minute to play. The momentum had definitely shifted to Centennial and the crowd of students expressed their excitement with each basket. At 0:25 seconds, Mayfield cut the lead to one following an inbound basket following a Centennial foul. Mayfield fouled back at 0:15 seconds, and fouled again at :11 seconds, putting the Hawks in the bonus. At the line, Centennial’s Anthony Eres (#42) went one for two. After sinking the second shot, Mayfield called a timeout with 0:11.8 seconds on the clock.
The inbound play for the Trojans was to get the ball over the half-court line, and not seeing any good shots, a second timeout was called with five seconds left on the clock.
With the half-court inbound play, the Hawks smothered the Trojans at the basket, blocking the would-be final shot out of bounds. The referees called possession to the Trojans and reset the game clock at 0:00.8 seconds. That was all the Trojans needed. Ruben Rivera (#5) caught Fernando Corona (#23) breaking for the basket on the inbound pass, and Corona immediately laid it in at the buzzer.
The Game was going into overtime. The Centennial Hawks could not recover the momentum in the four minutes of overtime, eventually falling at home 57-48.
