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Shamrock boys blow past Salome
YC 21-17-18-15 — 71
SHS 12-8-18-18 — 56
Yuma Catholic — Carter Rodriguez 19, Cleary 10, Pistone 10, Reid 9, Hurtado 9, Bourguignon 6, Douglas 2, Perez 2, Barzynski 2, Vega, McKinney, Mitchell
Salome — Adam Friedle 20, Fortenberry 14, Scott 11, Long 4, Ciszowski 3, Ruiz 2, Best 2, Wolfe
Leave it to the sophomores on the Yuma Catholic boys basketball team to take over Senior Night.
The usual suspects stepped up for the Shamrocks and they won 71-56 over Salome at home on Tuesday night.
Sophomore point guard Carter Rodriguez had 19 points and six assists, sophomore post Matt Pistone had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds and sophomore wing Jagan Cleary added 10 for the Shamrocks.
“That's the heart of the team,” Yuma Catholic coach Brooks Neumann said about the sophomores.
Neumann started his seniors and midway through the first quarter, when the starters subbed in and got settled in, the Shamrocks (16-1) pulled away and a basket by Rodriguez to start the second made it 23-12 and Yuma Catholic led by double figures the rest of the way.
“It's kind of an awkward night because you want to get your seniors in and play them a lot, but it's still a power point game,” Neumann said. “I thought the game was just out of sync. We've been playing real good lately, and it felt out of sync and not as pretty as how we've been playing.”
“It's weird coming off the bench,” Pistone said. “You warm up and sit down. You're cold. You haven't been out running and shooting. It's different.”
Adam Friedle scored a game-high 20 points for Salome (4-12) and Robert Fortenberry added 14 in the losing effort.
The Shamrocks entered the night as the No. 2 team in Division IV Section I – well behind No. 1 Joy Christian, who are undefeated at 15-0. Neumann said that with one game remaining in the regular season for the Shamrocks – tonight at Tonopah Valley – the Shamrocks are looking to prepare themselves for the section playoffs, which begin Wednesday”
“Every game is a preparation right now,” Pistone said. “We're trying to peak right before sectionals and right before the playoffs where we're at our best at the end of the season.”
Since losing 60-41 at Lake Havasu on Jan. 8, the Shamrocks have won nine straight and Neumann said have been playing some good basketball.
“Since the Lake Havasu game, we've been playing really, really good. I'm really excited,” Neumann said. “We've been playing some really good defense and we've been shooting the ball well, too.”
