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Santa Rita wins Matador Shootout: Eagles triumph in 63-61 barnburner over Lobos

The Daily News

BULLHEAD CITY - Santa Rita (Tucson) High School head coach Jim Ferguson benched his best player - among others - during the first quarter, yet the Eagles came back from a 14-point opening-period deficit to defeat the Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) High School Lobos 63-61 to earn the 2007 Matador Shootout title.

Ferguson benched his star point guard Terrell Stoglin, shooting guard Mark Simmons and swingman Shon Neal, and Rocky Mountain led 16-2 in the opening period before they were inserted into the lineup.

"We had some personal things we needed to deal with," Ferguson said, "and we had to send a message that they have to do what's expected of them.

"I'm trying to teach some discipline."

Stoglin scored 14 of his game-high 27 point in the second quarter to pull the Eagles' to within 33-24 at the half, but the Lobos went into the intermission with the momentum as James Stewart scored an alley-oop basket off an inbounds play with one second left in the second quarter.

Two Lobos who made the all-tournament team led Rocky Mountain in the first half. Kaipo Sabas scored nine points and Brian Glenn had eight.

Lobos head coach Bruce Dick said the game featured an emotional playoff-like atmosphere.

"We didn't shoot the ball as well as we did earlier in the tournament," Dick said. "We had a difficult time defending (Stoglin).

"He's just a great all-around player; he makes circus shots look normal."

The 6-foot Eagles point guard explained how he does it: "Plyometrics (a form of exercise) gives me balance and the ability to finish."

Despite the Stoglin show, the Lobos led 50-41 at the end of three quarters.

That Lobos' lead dwindled to 57-51 with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter when Santa Rita turned it up a notch.

Simmons' athleticism along the baseline led to Byron Morgan's field goal, which cut the deficit to 57-54 with 2:29 to play.

Then Stoglin hit a 3-pointer with a defender draped all over him from just beyond the top of the key to tie it at 57-57 with 2:14 to go.

Then Stoglin's two free throws put Santa Rita ahead 59-57 with 1:31 left in regulation, but Sabas hit both ends of 1-and-1 to tie it at 59-59 with a little more than one minute to go.

Simmons' field goal with 58 seconds left and Sabas' with 45 seconds to go tied it again, 61-61.

Simmons' two free throws with 19 seconds clinched the win for Santa Rita, but not without one last gasp from Rocky Mountain.

Glenn launched a 3-pointer from the right baseline with Eagles 6-8 wingman Darnell in his face with two seconds remaining, but it missed the mark as the Eagles ran to their bench in celebration.

"To come back against a well-disciplined team like that when you're down 14," Ferguson said. "It just shows what we're capable of defensively.

"They showed character, and I'm glad the way they came back."

Shumpert, who earned all-tournament honors, scored 12 points along with Simmons and Morgan, said he was confident his team could come back: "We knew we could do it because we stick together like a family."

Shumpert credited the Lobos as well.

"They're solid, they have everything," he said. "They not as athletic as were are, but they play together as a team."

Stoglin, who said Ferguson told him he was not starting at the hotel prior to the final, said he played well, distributed the basketball and hit open jumpers.

The Lobos missed last season's tournament because they were snowed in at the airport in Colorado, and Dick said the Shootout was a learning experience for his ballclub.

"It going to help us when we get back home," Dick said. "I was very proud of my kids for handling themselves with a lot of class."

ALL-TOURNAMENT SQUAD: Erik El Belle of Chula Vista (Calif.) High School, Shumpert of Santa Rita, Glenn and Kaipo of Rocky Mountain, Tyler Fox of Mohave, and MVP Stoglin.