CHANDLER β For 16 minutes, No. 17 seed Tucson High stayed with the second-best team in Class 6A.
In fact, after 11 minutes the Badgers (19-9) had the best of No. 2 Chandler Hamilton, but once the Huskies got their offense in gear and Tucson High went cold, the season came to an end.
βToo many turnovers,β said Tucson Highβs leading scorer Mark Hunter, who was held to seven points after averaging nearly 16 a game coming in. βWe needed to limit that and make our shots, the layups.β
Jamar Brown scored 18 points Wednesday night to lead Hamilton past Tucson High 67-42 in the first round of the 6A boys state tournament.
After leading by seven and keeping it even at 21 by intermission, the Badgers all of sudden couldnβt get a basket and started mishandling the ball.
βCold was the word of the game and turnovers,β said Tucson High coach Daryl Jones. βBut Iβm proud of them. They played hard. We had the best season at Tucson High in like five years.β
Hamilton scored the first seven points of the second half, capped by a long Brown 3-pointer and the Badgers were on their heels. Tucson High missed its first five shots of the quarter, got within 28-25 with 4:24 left in the third before the wheels came off.
βWe didnβt play our game in the third quarter, thatβs all,β said Jones. βWe just went cold, plain and simple.β
Andrew Hinkle hit a 3, an errant pass led to another Tucson High turnover and Hamilton ran off 10 straight. Yahir Garciaβs more than half-court buzzer beater was the first 3-pointer of the night but Tucson still trailed 41-28 after three.
βCoach just tells us, keep doing us, start from the beginning,β Hunter said. βPlay defense, keep pursuing. Donβt give up. But the turnovers. It was a great experience but I wish we could have gone farther.β
Tucson lost in play-in games the last two years, but got past No. 16 Scottsdale Chaparral last Friday in a play-in as a No. 17 seed.
The Huskies lost in state semifinals last year and played in the toughest region in the state by most accounts.
Brown hit another 3 to spark a 13-0 run to start the fourth and Hamilton never looked back.
A far cry from the first quarter when Tucson High overcame a slow start β missing its first four shots with the inspired play of junior Kambreal Oβbannon, who scored 11 straight points for the Badgers, including three free throws and a steal that led to a layup to give Tucson High 13-8 lead after the first eight minutes. He hit a 15-footer and Mark Hunter got a steal and a layup to put the Badgers up 17-10 with 5:15 left in the second. Oβbannon led the Badgers with 13 and Garcia had 12.
But Hamilton slowed down the Badgers methodical offense to tie it up by halftime.
βWeβll be back next year,β Jones said. βWeβll be back.β
More scores from Wednesday night:
BOYS BASKETBALL
Class 6A state playoffs, first round
No. 2 Chandler Hamilton 67, No. 15 Tucson High 42
Class 5A state playoffs, first round
No. 5 Sierra Vista Buena 68,Β No. 12 Ironwood Ridge 62Β
No. 10 Nogales 72, No. 7 Cienega 69
Class 3A state playoffs, first round
No. 9 San Tan Foothills 62, No. 24 Tanque Verde 42Β
No. 14 Pusch Ridge Christian 59, No. 19 Monument Valley 48Β
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Class 4A state playoffs, first round
No. 13 Rio Rico 57, No. 4 Phoenix Greenway 50
No. 10 Salpointe Catholic 63, No. 7 Scottsdale Saguaro 54
No. 3 Sahuaro 60, No. 14 Phoenix Moon Valley 38
Β No. 2 Phoenix Shadow Mountain 62, No. 15 Catalina Foothills 29
BOYS SOCCER
Class 5A state quarterfinals
No. 1 Sunnyside 3, No. 8 Queen Creek Casteel 0Β
Class 4A state quarterfinals
No. 1 Douglas 3, No. 9 Walden Grove 1Β
