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GC boys drop games<br>to Joe City, Ash Fork<br>

GC VILLAGE — The Grand Canyon High School boys basketball team suffered back-to-back blows in the 1A North Conference last weekend with losses to Joseph City and Ash Fork.

The Phantoms played some of their best basketball in years in an 80-71 loss Friday to unbeaten Joseph City. Grand Canyon followed with a 66-64 loss at the buzzer against rival Ash Fork.

Mitchell Walker nails one of his eight three-pointers vs. Joseph City.

"I’m getting tired of moral victories. It’s time to get over that hump and execute at the end of games for the win," Grand Canyon coach Dan Lopez said. "We’ve got to get beyond that point and finish."

Grand Canyon did falter in the final moments of both contests. Despite the nine-point difference in the final score, the loss to Joseph City did go down to the wire.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by some sources, knew they would need to stop Mitchell Walker. But Grand Canyon came at the opponent with balanced scoring in the first quarter. After Michael Vincent opened the game with a three-pointer, Richardson Tisi and Tempy Walker, along with Mitchell Walker, scored points in the first eight minutes as the Phantoms trailed, 21-18.

Mitchell Walker exploded in the second quarter to score 14 of the team’s 16 points. The senior was a force from the outside and his three-pointers would keep the Phantoms close until the final minutes. For the game, Walker nailed an incredible eight three-pointers.

Joseph City tried to pull away on a few occasions and opened up an 11-point lead with 3:09 left in the third quarter.

Grand Canyon responded with a Walker three-pointer, a field goal by Vincent and then another three-pointer by Walker to pull to within 59-56 in a matter of less than two minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the game continued to be close. Joseph City opened up a seven-point lead midway through the quarter and the Phantoms appeared to have lost momentum.

Vincent, who had one of his top games of the season, came through with a basket at the 1:59 mark to cut the Wildcat lead to 75-71.

Thirteen seconds later, Grand Canyon had the ball again and drew a foul. With a chance to pull to within two at the foul line, the ball would not fall and Joe City maintained its four-point cushion.

Moments later on the other end of the floor, the Phantom defense had a lapse when they missed on an opportunity to get a rebound on a blown Joe City layup. The Wildcats made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute and ended up with the nine-point victory.

Walker’s performance was a sight to see for the home team fans. The senior pumped in 39 points, although he was held to no field goals in the fourth quarter. Walker played the game’s entire 32 minutes.

Vincent finished the game with a season-high 14 points. Tempy Walker and Vincent had three-pointers to join Mitchell Walker’s eight to give Grand Canyon 10 of the long-range bombs for the game.

The loss was a tough one for Grand Canyon with an obvious hard-fought effort turned in by the entire lineup. The Phantoms were hoping to put the setback behind them with a road victory over the Spartans on Saturday.

Loss at the buzzer

Ash Fork, which had beaten Grand Canyon, 58-50, earlier in the season, would hand the Phantoms another loss with late-game heroics. The game was tight all the way with Grand Canyon holding leads of 32-31 at halftime and 46-45 heading into the fourth.

It was obvious Walker would have another fine game in the early going. At the end of the first quarter, Walker stunned the Spartans with a half-court jumpshot.

But the Phantoms did not get the balanced scoring from the rest of the team as they had in the Joe City game. Behind Walker’s 39 points, the next highest scorer was Kachinhongva with six points.

"Everybody needs to step up and get the job done," Lopez said. "The difference between the Joe City game and last night’s game (vs. Ash Fork) was the other players stepped up with 10 here, 10 there."

With less than a minute to go in the game, the score was knotted at 64-64. Ash Fork had possession of the ball and worked the clock down for a final shot. The Spartans attempted a three-point goal with a few seconds left, but the ball rimmed in and out. Ash Fork was in position, however, for the tip-in at the buzzer. The officials ruled the shot a basket and the Spartans had the win.

"I was thinking overtime and the next thing I know, this kid tips the ball in," Lopez said. "Greg’s (assistant coach Greg Walker) yelling ‘over the back,’ and I’m yelling ‘the clock expired.’"

The game was tough to watch for Grand Canyon fans with a number of fouls called, including three technicals on the Phantoms. But Lopez does not blame the officials for the loss.

"We had 14 turnovers and missed 11 layups," Lopez said. "That’s why we lost the game."

Walker had another incredible performance with 39 points for the second straight game. The senior Phantom also made eight three-pointers for the second straight game for another addition to his basketball resume.

Grand Canyon (3-5 in region, 6-11 overall) was scheduled to play at home Tuesday in a conference game vs. Music Mountain. That game was played after deadline.

The Phantoms will host Flagstaff Northland Prep Saturday at 5 p.m. in a nonconference game. The team then hosts Ash Fork on Monday with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

Summaries

JOSEPH CITY 80, GRAND CANYON 71

Friday at Grand Canyon

Scoring by quarters:

Joseph City 21 19 24 16—80

Grand Canyon 18 16 25 12—71

Grand Canyon Scoring:

Michael Vincent 5 3-4 14, Mitchell Walker 11 9-12 39, Richardson Tisi 2 2-2 6, Tempy Walker 1 1-2 4, Nathaniel Bitsui 1 0-0 2, Miles Hunter 0 2-4 2, Kendall Kachinhongva 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 17-24 71.

Three-point goals: M. Walker 8, Vincent, T. Walker.

ASH FORK 66, GRAND CANYON 64

Saturday at Ash Fork

Scoring by quarters:

Grand Canyon 16 16 14 18—64

Ash Fork 12 19 14 21—66

Grand Canyon Scoring:

Tempy Walker 2 0-0 5, Michael Vincent 1 3-5 5, Nathaniel Bitsui 0 1-4 1, Kendall Kachinhongva 2 0-0 6, Miles Hunter 2 0-0 4, Mitchell Walker 11 9-10 39, Richardson Tisi 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 13-19 64.

Three-point goals: M. Walker 8, Kendall Kachinhongva 2, T. Walker.


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