Hendrix, Kino and Powell Part Deux

January 31, 2006. Mesa Jr. vs. Hendrix.

This is a team we had beat rather easily two weeks prior. It's always more difficult to win on the road. Home court advantage is real, especially in basketball. It's statistically proven and I know it from experience. Personally, I had distanced myself from the team. I grew selfish and just wanted playing time, even though I knew I wasn't nearly as good as the guys ahead of me. McEvers talked to the team about this, but I knew it was 100% directed at me.

Anyway, we got to use the girls' locker room at Hendrix. Something happened in there that I hope not to forget, but I hesitate to post because of the comments I may get.

As the game got started, I took the last seat on the bench, furthest from halfcourt. This isn't normal. I was usually right over there, next to Max, the assistant coach. I feel like there were at least two chairs between me and the closest teammate the whole time.

We led 16-8 after one and 30-14 at half. We were in total control. We were using a full-court press that was just ripping them apart. They couldn't beat it! They were completely suppressed. We laid an egg in the third and only put up six points. No worries. We were still up 36-24.

Adrian got a technical foul in the third quarter. If I remember correctly, it was a loose ball. Adrian dove for it, had complete control of the ball and was lying there by himself. A Hendrix player then jumped on top of Adrian and started trying to wrestle the ball away. The refs blew their whistle to indicate a foul on Hendrix. Adrian forcefully used his elbow to push the Hendrix player off of him and leave his body print in the court. He got T'ed up for that.

McEvers didn't like that. Common sportsmanship tells us we should let up on the full-court press, being up big in the fourth quarter. McEvers encouraged us to continue with it. He didn't care at all. Adrian shouldn't have been called for a technical foul in his opinion. He was gonna take it out on Hendrix.

With about five minutes to go, McEvers put me in. I made a three. The Mesa Jr. girls team had played before us and were all in the stands. I remember it well. Adrian promised to get me an open look. I was on the left wing by myself. He got me the ball. #40 of Hendrix, their biggest guy, came running at me. I launched it over his outstretched hand. I like to think it was a swish. It definitely went in the hoop. I was basically a hero in front of all the girls.

We wound up winning 57-38. 15 of our 21 fourth quarter points came from three pointers. In fact, our last twelve points were from three pointers. Adrian had three, Greg had one and I had one.

6-11.

February 2, 2006. Mesa Jr. vs. Kino.

Two weeks prior, we had won an epic battle against this team. In our building. That's crucial.

We had two pretty good quarters in this game. But, this is one of those times where you say the team just wasn't focused. Wasn't ready mentally. First of all, we got their tiny, cramped weight room to meet in. They had pictures of all kinds of nasty, roided-up guys in there. But, Kino wanted revenge pretty badly.

We go out and think it's gonna be another close game. But, Kino is playing this zone defense that is just killing us. It seemed like a miracle when we finally got our first point from a Jorge Riviera free throw. We were lucky to be down 14-3 after one. McEvers obviously didn't know what to do and was willing to try anything, I got some playing time in that first quarter.

We must figure out a way to get Lorenzo the ball in the second quarter because he puts up seven points for us. It looks like we're gonna be down 35-20 going into halftime. But Greg gets the inbound, dribbles to halfcourt and just basically lobs it up as the buzzer sounds. I still think he didn't get it off in time, but the ball goes in. For no good reason. Our bench erupts. The officials look at each other and almost simultaneously put their arms up to signal the basket is good. 35-23. We go into their tiny, cramped weight room with lots of energy and momentum. We were gonna win this in dramatic fashion...

...We score one point in the third quarter. One Adrian Bernal free throw. Where the energy and momentum went, I have no idea. McEvers was again willing to try anything because I got in there in the third. I remember crouching in front of the scorer's table. Our scorekeeper, Tina, told me, "Always be ready for the ball. Expect them to pass it to you." We were down 49-24 after three.

With the game in essence over, our guys decided to start having fun. Lorenzo started launching threes, he even made two. Jorge got one for himself.  McEvers was gonna put in, I assume, Erik and/or Angel with about four minutes to go. He looked up at the scoreboard.
"Oh, what the hell!" he said as he hugged the air in front of him. He emptied his bench all at once. I'm sure we didn't score another point from that time on. We lost 67-40.

Kino may think they're the better team because they barely lost to us at Mesa Jr. and beat the crap out of us at Kino. However, anybody should be able to win a home game. A five-game series is really the only way to tell. And I strongly believe we would've won had we played again. Doesn't matter where.

6-12.

February 3, 2006. Powell vs. Mesa Jr.

The last game of the season. We had pretty easily handled Powell the first time, but that was coming off a very big, emotional win. This time we were coming off a loss where the starters just sat and laughed the final minutes away.

We're up 12-8 after one and 30-23 at half. Our crowd is good, but not great. Don't they know this is their final chance to see a respectable team at Mesa Jr.?

Lorenzo scores 11 of our 12 third quarter points and maintains our lead. 42-35. This game is closer than I wanted it to be.

We're up two late, but Powell has possession. I really wish I could remember the final play of the season, but I can't. I just know we ended it with a win. 56-54.

A 7-12 record doesn't seem all that great. It's a .368 win percentage. But, we won six of our last eight games. Everyone thinks Ken Whisenhunt and John Skelton are heroes for taking the 1-6 Cardinals to and 8-8 finish this past season. We'll see how they do this upcoming season and say that's how Mesa Jr.'s '05-'06 basketball would've done if we would've had another season. IF we could've had more time, we definitely would've looked more respectable. IF we could've played another season together or anything like that, we would've been the team nobody wants to play.