By Sandy Anderberg
The Bronco varsity basketball team played off against Pampa in the Championship game of the River Road Tournament last weekend and finished in second place.
Earlier in the week, the Broncos took on San Jacinto in Amarillo and were defeated 65-74. Things were fairly even for the Broncos through the first half of play, but a quarter plagued with turnovers hurt them and the Patriots took full advantage. Clarendon fell behind and could not recover before time ran out.
“We played well in the first half,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “But we had too many turnovers in the third quarter and that was a big difference in the game.”
Also according to Lockhart, senior Trajen Johnson took three charges for the night. Cole Ward had a huge game inside as he pumped in 30 points, including one three, and going four for five from the bonus line.
Scoring: Ward 30, Diego Santos 10, Charles Mason 7, Johnson 7, Cody Wood 6, Adam Topper 5, and Chance McAnear 2.
On Friday, the Broncos played in the River Road Tournament and took on Borger in the first round. After a hard battle, the Broncos came out on top 55-54. The Broncos seemed to do everything right against the Bulldogs and stepped up their game after coming from behind in the first quarter. The inside work of Ward and Topper gave the Broncos the boost they needed and everyone else came together to get the win. Ward and Topper each recorded a double-double with Ward having 18 points and Topper putting in 12. Each player had 10 rebounds. Santos also helped with 10 assists in the game.
Scoring: Ward 18, Topper 12, Mason 7, Wood 6, Santos 6, and Johnson 6.
The Broncos took on Ascension Academy in the second round and breezed to a 92-42 win. The game was never contested and three players finished in double figures. The inside work of Johnson and Topper was outstanding and Wood hit several shots including one three pointer and shooting five for five from the free throw line. Topper recorded another double-double with14 rebounds and 9 assists.
Scoring: Johnson 27, Topper 23, Wood 12, Santos 9, Ward 9, McAnear 6, Jonah Sell 4, and Zach Cornell 2.
The Broncos played River Road in the third game and won 68-45. Once again, the Broncos were on their game and opened up with a big lead. An explosive second quarter gave the Broncos the edge they needed to take the win. Johnson, Ward, and Topper teamed up to account for 44 of the Broncos’ 68 points. Scoring: Johnson 16, Topper 15, Ward 13, Wood 7, Mason 7, Santos 7, and Sell 3.
The win over the host team put the Broncos in the Championship game against a good Pampa team. They played hard, but lost 42-68. The Broncos struggled with their shots against the Harvesters and were never able to get into a rhythm.
“Overall, we played well in the tournament,” Lockhart said. “We had our best defensive game of the year against River Road. But, we did not shoot the ball well in the championship game.”
Scoring: Johnson 12, Ward 10, Topper 7, Wood 6, Santos 3, Mason 2, and Sell 2.
The Broncos will play in their own tournament beginning Thursday, December 6 and travel to Canadian Tuesday, December 11.
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