Local Roundup: Coconino tripped up late

SUN SPORTS STAFF | Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:00 am |

Despite 39 combined points from seniors Justin Russell and Trevor Kriesel, the Coconino boys basketball team fell to fifth-seeded Gilbert Williams Field, 66-61, Tuesday night in the opening round of the Class 4A, Division II state tournament.

The 12th-seeded Panthers led the Black Hawks by nine points late in the third quarter, but had trouble holding off Williams Field.

The Black Hawks entered the fourth quarter trailing by six, but managed to tie the game up at 61 with about a minute to play.

On Williams Field's first possession after the tie, Coconino committed a foul and the Black Hawks converted on one free throw to take a one-point lead.

The Panthers weren't able to notch a basket on their next possession and Williams Field added two free throws and a bucket at the very end to pull out the five-point lead.

"It was a great game. We battled the whole way," CHS coach Kelley Smith said. "What hurt us is that we turned the ball over up top. The pressure of the game was heightened towards the end and we are young at the guard spot and it hurt us a little."

Russell scored a team-high 20 points in the loss and Kriesel had 19. Junior forward Brent James added 15.

"The big three came to play," Smith said. "They played very well and I was proud of them. We just couldn't overcome mistakes late."

Senior point guard Trevor Wytroval had seven assists in the loss for the Panthers, who finished the season with a 14-9 record.

"I'm very proud of the effort," Smith said. "There's nothing to hang our heads about. Hopefully, for the guys coming back, it's motivation for them to try to get better. We're going to miss the seniors, but we're going to work hard in the gym in the offseason and it's going to pay off next year."

Russell, Kriesel lead CHS to Senior Night win

DANIEL BERK Sports Editor | Posted: Saturday, February 13, 2010 5:00 am

 

Stas Yamnitskiy Coconino senior Trevor Kriesel goes for a layup while Sinagua's Conley Bendel guards the basket. (Stas Yamnitskiy/Arizona Daily Sun)

With 3.1 seconds left in Coconino's game with Sinagua on Friday night, Panthers coach Kelley Smith pulled all four of his seniors out of the game and gave them each hugs as they exited the court.

And, boy did they deserve it.

Half of CHS's senior class, Justin Russell and Trevor Kriesel, combined for 28 points and 20 rebounds and the Panthers closed out the regular season with a 46-36 win over the rival Mustangs.

"I told those guys before the game that this would be the very last time they ever played a game in this gym and they needed to play like it," Smith said. "I really think that got them fired up. They played with a ton of emotion."

Smith started all four of his seniors -- Kriesel, Russell, guard Trevor Wytroval and forward Craig Moeller -- and the quartet came out fired up early on. The Panthers missed just one shot from the field in the first quarter and Kriesel was 4 of 4 in the frame.

Kriesel also scored the first bucket of the second quarter, and put in 11 of the team's first 17 points.

"I knew there was going to be the hype of senior night and I just wanted to make sure that I came out and calmed myself down and just played," Kriesel said. "It was a lot of fun. We all just enjoy being with each other and we have great team chemistry and the seniors wanted to play really well in here for our last time."

Kriesel finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Russell had 15 and 10. Sinagua was led by Daniel Talbot's 10 points.

After Coconino jumped out to its initial lead, Sinagua started chipping away. Midway through the second quarter, SHS guard Stetson Begay hit a shot, was fouled and converted the free throw to bring the Mustangs within three, 21-18.

However, CHS (8-2 Grand Canyon Region) closed out the half on a 6-1 run and took a 27-19 lead into halftime.

In the second, CHS maintained its lead and the closest the Mustangs got the entire second half was six points.

As good as Kriesel was in the beginning, Russell was as good at the end.

Russell had 11 of his 15 points in the second half and could have had two more, but just missed a dunk in the fourth quarter.

"I wanted it so bad," Russell said with a huge smile after the game. "I almost had it, I just lost it there at the end. It would have been cool."

That was about the only thing Russell and Kriesel did wrong Friday.

"Trevor is a kid with a lot of school pride," Smith said. "I know Coconino is very important to him and he wanted to play well his last time out there and he did.

"Justin was a beast on the boards and just played so hard the entire game. He was really big for us."

With the loss, Sinagua's season is now complete. The game and season did end on a positive note as fan-favorite Hayden Renning got in at the fans' request and scored the team's final point of the season on a free throw.

Coconino will wait and see who it faces in the first round of the Class 4A, Division II state tournament, which begins on Tuesday. Before Friday's game, the Panthers were ranked 13th in the power rankings and seem poised to move up at least one spot.