Facing a key Grand Canyon Region game against intracity rival Sinagua, Justin Russell and his Coconino boys basketball teammates turned to an unexpected source for motivation.
Rub-on Disney tattoos.
Russell had the cuddly image of Baloo the Bear inked on his left shoulder Friday night, but he looked more like Aladdin against the Mustangs.
The senior forward worked his magic by seemingly covering all four corners of the court at once, leading his team to a 47-37 win at the Corral.
It was the second straight big GCR win for the Panthers since they dropped their first region game last week against Flagstaff High.
"I think we just finally realized that we needed to get these wins in order to go to state, that's what our goal is," said Russell, who led Coconino with 15 points and seven rebounds. "We just need to focus on playing together and playing to win."
A portion of the "playing together" part can be credited to the tattoos.
Russell said his teammates dumped about $8 worth of quarters into a rub-on tattoo dispenser at KFC after school Friday.
"We tried to get the My Little Pony tattoos for the Mustangs, but we couldn't find them so we just got Disney characters," said Russell, who confessed that senior wing Trevor Kriesel led the recon mission.
The players chose the tattoos based on seniority. Among the first to pick, Russell nabbed Baloo the Bear from the popular Disney flick "The Jungle Book."
"I feel it describes my personality ... he's a big goof ball," Russell chuckled.
Actually, the joke was on Sinagua.
Russell and the Panthers displayed an unmatched intensity from the opening tip, and the undermanned Mustangs simply couldn't keep up.
Minus two senior starters -- forward Daniel Talbot (ankle) and guard Stetson Begay (family emergency) -- Sinagua went with just seven players. The Mustangs whittled a 13-point halftime deficit to three points early in the fourth quarter before running out of gas.
"I thought we were going to get back into it," coach Mike Palmer said. "They challenged us well, we were cold, and we just couldn't get it done tonight."
The Panthers' energetic frontcourt of Russell, Kriesel (seven points, five rebounds) and junior forward Brent James (11 points, six rebounds) were relentless on the glass, giving themselves second opportunities on the offensive end while consistently forcing the Mustangs into one-and-dones.
"We challenged (the frontcourt players) a little bit," Coconino coach Kelley Smith said. "We said 'You have to step up your game and lead this team -- by example and verbally and every other way.' And they responded. They did a fine job for us."
James put the Panthers up by 14 points with 3:20 left in the second quarter when he scored his eighth and ninth points of the first half on a baseline layup.
Coconino maintained a double-digit lead through most of the third quarter, then Dylan Salay (eight points, six rebounds) and Conley Bendel (nine points, 10 rebounds) muscled the Mustangs back into the game.
Sinagua ended the third frame on a 7-0 run to pull within 34-30, and senior sharpshooter Dillin Hatch drilled a 3 to cut the deficit to three points, 36-33, early in the third quarter.
But Russell and the deep Panthers still had plenty of energy left down the stretch.
Russell, who scored 10 of his game-high 15 points after halftime, hit four straight free throws in the final 1:17 to seal the victory.
Coconino 47, Sinagua 37
COCONINO--James 5-11 1-1 11, Russell 4-11 7-8 15, Conigliari 0-1 0-0 0, Kriesel 3-6 0-0 7, Robinson 0-2 0-0 0, Garcia 3-7 2-5 8, Schwartz 2-3 2-3 6, Ingram 0-4 0-2 0, Hurst 0-0 0-0 0, Wytroval 0-0 0-0 0, Bonner 0-0 0-0 0, Hobson 0-0 0-0 0, Moeller 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 12-19 47.
SINAGUA--Bendel 2-5 5-6 9, Salay 3-10 1-4 8, Timberlake 1-2 0-0 2, Trujillo 2-5 2-2 6, Hatch 1-5 1-3 4, Dickman 2-6 0-0 6, McGuire 1-3 0-0 2, Palmer 0-0 0-0 0, Renning 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-369-15 37.
Coconino 13 15 6 13--47
Sinagua 10 5 15 7--37
Three-point goals: Coconino 1-5 (Kriesel 1-2, Garcia 0-2, Robinson 0-1). Sinagua 4-12 (Dickman 2-5, Salay 1-2, Hatch 1-3, Bendel 0-1, Trujillo 0-1). Fouled out--Trujillo.
