Canyon boys start perfect, hold off impressive Randall comeback attempt
The Canyon Eagles boys basketball team could not have started any better Tuesday night. For the Randall Raiders, it truly couldn't have been any worse. Yet the Raiders still managed to get back within four points late in the third quarter of a District 4-4A contest.
Randall head coach Leslie Broadhurst described it best.
"Anytime we got close, (Canyon) answered with a big play," he said.
Canyon got out to a near-perfect start, made the plays it needed to for much of the game and stayed in front long enough to secure playoff berth and a 62-47 victory over Randall
The two teams couldn't have started any different.
The Raiders (20-9, 8-2) couldn't buy a basket while the Eagles (23-2, 10-0) couldn't miss. Randall had multiple possessions of three missed shots, while Canyon converted and-one opportunity after and-one opportunity.
It all amounted to a 19-0 start for Canyon, which held Randall to without a point until Dawson Heider sunk a pair of free throw at the 1:43 mark of the opening period.
The Eagles didn't make their first field goal until Jaxon Toniolli nailed a triple 1:10 with left in the first quarter.
"We've been talking about getting hot starts and playing with intensity," Canyon coach Travis Schulte said. "I would have never dreamt we'd come out like that. I'll be honest with you, as a coach, it kind of makes you nervous. You get a 19-point lead, I think human nature puts you in protect mode and it's way too early to be protecting a lead at that point."
Schulte was right to be nervous, in the end.
The Raiders got within 19-7 by the end of the first quarter and eight in the second before a three-pointer by Evan Hughes returned the lead to double digits. After not scoring until two minutes into the second quarter, KJ Thomas came up big in drawing a foul shooting a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds until halftime.
Thomas drained all three to get Randall within 32-22 at the midway point before the Raiders continued to chip away at the lead in the second half.
JJ Buchanan hit a three-pointer to pull the Raiders within 42-38 with 1:47 left in the third quarter, which was as close as Randall would get. Canyon pulled back ahead by eight when Thomas delivered a tomahawk slam dunk to make it 45-40. But Chris Bryant hit a critical three-pointer at the top of the key to put Canyon back up eight entering the fourth.
Randall ran out of steam from there.
"That was a huge shot wasn't it?," Schulte said. "I thought Chris played big boys basketball tonight."
Bryant finished with 15 points as did Kelson Jones. Evan Hughes led the way for Canyon with 19 points. Randall was led by Thomas, who overcame a slow start to score 25. Toniolli added 10 points as the Raiders put up an inspiring comeback effort.
"...We'd get it to where we almost felt like we had it and then Canyon would make a big shot," Randall coach Leslie Broadhurst said. "They'd get a foul called and make free throws or something. Give credit to them, they made big plays when they had to when we were making a good run. It was a good game."
Randall will visit Hereford on Friday, while Canyon heads to Pampa. Both games are slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
Canyon (23-2, 10-0)
Evan Hughes 19 points, Chris Bryant 15, Kelson Jones 15, Kemper Jones 7, Gage Lunsford 4, Ian Armstrong 2
Randall (20-9, 8-2)
KJ Thomas 25 points, Jaxon Toniolli 10, JJ Buchanan 3, Cayden Sato 3, Dawson Heider 2, Devin Baccas 2, Tayesen Combs 2
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon boys start perfect, hold off impressive Randall comeback attempt
