Bulldogs boys basketball team enjoys successful summer

Winslow High School basketball coach Ricky Greer reports that the Bulldogs have enjoyed a successful summer program. The team was 12-3 for the summer after winning the Ft. Lewis College Tournament in Durango, Colo. This is a prestigious tournament with some of the best teams from Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona in attendance.

Winslow defeated Los Lunas 45-32 in a game in which Frank Kelly scored 20 points for the Bulldogs and Stevin Nelson tallied 11. Los Lunas is a large school of 1,800 students. The Bulldogs also defeated Gallup 42-35 on Friday with Keenan Keams leading the charge with 17 points.

Winslow then nipped Albuquerque Del Norte 37-34. Keenan Keams led the Bulldogs in the low scoring game with eight points. Trevor Began scored seven. Del Norte is a 5A school with more than 2,000 students. The Bulldogs next won an even lower scoring game over host Durango 38-37. Nelson led the scoring with 15 points.

The Bulldog's next game of the tourney was one Winslow probably should have lost. Instead the Bulldogs won 40-38. Nelson led the way with 13 points. "This is the game in which we should've lost. Piedra Vista is a young but very solid club out of Farmington. They are a 4A school of around 1,400 students," Greer said. "They played with more energy and smarter than us for the most part especially the first half. But, we played well out of half time and held the lead most of the second half. They hit a big shot to take a one-point lead with 10 seconds to go in the game. We called our final time out and called for a high pick in roll for Keenan. It was taken away by a trap at mid-court but he made a great read, didn't dribble into the trap, he swung the ball to Trelonnie Sanders across the court who penetrated middle, drawing a second defender. This left Frank Kelly wide open in the right corner in front of our bench and he hit the game winning 3 with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. Huge shot and showed big time character!"

The Bulldogs went into Sunday's game as the top seed from their pool and opened with a Winslow 49-42 win over Ignacio. Nelson led Winslow with 15 points. Frank Kelly scored 10 points and Keenan Keams tallied nine.

In the Championship Game, the Bulldogs had a rematch with Los Lunas who beat the Bulldogs in the first game of the tourney. The Bulldogs prevailed 45-31 led by Nelson with 14 points and Sanders with 11. "We knew this game was going to be a dog fight after handing Los Lunas their only loss of the camp," Greer said. "They are physical and play with a bully mentality. So much credit goes to our players; they came out on fire and with great emotion. They never relented and continued to turn up the emotion and intensity throughout the ballgame. Los Lunas didn't know how to respond. They came back and tied it late in the 1st half but we responded with a 3, and lay-up and Nelson hit a NBA range 3 with 2 seconds left in the half that really deflated them we came out in the second clicking on all cylinders and built a 20 point lead. Nelson played an amazing game on both ends of the floor, shooting it very well from deep. Trelonnie and Keenan were great attacking throughout and the defense from Vinny and Demetrius on their best player was a pleasure to watch. It was a great way to end an awesome weekend! It was all out, all the time and a complete game."

Players who attended the Durango Tournament included Trevor Begay senior, Jesi Bitsoi varsity returner senior, Cory Dixon senior, Demetrius Gamez varsity returner senior, Andrew Greenwood varsity returning senior, Nathan Hanley sophomore, Keenan Keams varsity returning senior, Frank Kelly varsity returning senior, Stevin Nelson varsity returning starter senior, Trelonnie Sanders junior, Vincenzio Sells varsity returning starter senior and Austin Tsosie senior.

The Bulldogs began the season at Scottsdale Christian Academy on June 1-3 where they won one game and lost two against very good competition. The first game was an overtime loss to a much larger North Canyon team, 61-56. Keams led Winslow with 19 points. Nelson scored nine and Cory Dixon eight. Winslow won its second game 45-42 over Paradise Valley, another large Phoenix area school. Keams and Milland Thomas each scored 10 points to lead the Bulldogs. The final game of this tournament was a 61-56 loss to Valley Christian. Keams led Winslow with 19 points. Milland Thomas scored 11 points and Frank Kelly scored nine.

Greer said all three of those teams were very good and that Paradise Valley was the best team there. He said that Winslow won on a three point shot by Kelly at the buzzer. He said Winslow had chances to win the other two games but made crucial mistakes.

Winslow then won four games and lost one at a tournament in Flagstaff June 7 and 8. The bulldogs beat a Flagstaff team that was without many of its best players 46-38. The Bulldogs then clobbered Mingus 64-25 in a game in which Keams scored 28 points.

Show Low edged Winslow 50-46 with Keams scoring 18 points. On Saturday the Bulldogs beat Coconino 44-35 with Keams scoring 18 points and Nelson knocking in 14 points. In the final game, Winslow defeated Page 52-49 with Keams scoring 20 points and Nelson scoring 13 points.

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