Basketball Drops Nike T.O.C. Opener against Centennial
PHOENIX, Ariz. – St. Francis fell behind early and lost to Centennial (Nev.) 55-45 in the opening round of the Nike Tournament of Champions at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center Thursday despite a valiant effort in the second half.
St. Francis (6-1) fell behind early as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 run and trailed 17-4 after the first quarter.
“I thought we played hard after the first quarter when we really got punched in the mouth,” said Head Coach Vic Pitton.
The Troubadours cut the lead to 10 at the break and opened the second half with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to three points 30-27.
“We picked up the intensity as the game went on,” said junior Lauren Craig, who scored a game-high 10 points. “We fought back because we did not like being behind. We have to have more composure, play better defense and make better passes.”
Centennial then responded with a 10-0 run to extend their lead back to double digits.
“When we closed within three and gave up the 10-0 run, it really was a dagger,” said Pitton. “We continued to fight. But we just had too many mistakes and too many turnovers that led to uncontested baskets for them.”
Craig led the Troubadours with 17 points. Junior Angie Ortiz and Janae Fairbrook each contributed seven points, while junior Kyra Huffman added six points.
“I thought Lauren was able to maintain her balance much better,” said Pitton. “We have worked on that specifically the last two practices. She is really trying to incorporate it and her ceiling is going to get higher and higher as we continue to work on it.”
St. Francis cut the lead to six points in the fourth quarter but Centennial (7-0) posted an 8-0 run and the Troubadours never got any closer.
St. Francis will continue action in the loser’s bracket of the Grey Division on Thursday at 3:20 p.m. at the Kroc Center against the loser of the Warren (Calif.) and Corona del Sol (Ariz.) matchup. The Troubadours played Warren in the 2014 Nike T.O.C, losing 66-40 and were led by Huffman’s 14 points.
| Centennial 55, St. Francis 45 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial | 17 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 55 |
| St. Francis | 4 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 45 |
Nike Tournament of Champions
Phoenix, Ariz.
C – Kruthaupf 13, Ethridge 11, Brandon 9, Wilmore 8, Wells 8, Jefferson 6. SF – Craig 12, Ortiz 7, Fairbrook 7, Huffman 6, Rogers 5, Razo 4, Molodanof 2, Cobile 2.