Lobo Basketball Season Ends After 50-51 Loss to Tornillo Coyotes
    by Jessica Ray, Staff Writer ~~ The Monahans News, February 23, 2007

Losing always feels bad, but losing a basketball game by just one point feels worse.  It's harder to swallow.  After Wednesday night, the Loboes are gulping down their 51-50 loss to the Tornillo Coyotes.

Tornillo took a lead early in the game, but by the end of the first quarter, it was still anybody's game.  The score was Tornillo 12, Monahans 7.  The Coyotes extended the lead in the second quarter giving them a 10-point lead at half-time, 13-23.

Monahans struggled to break the 10-point lead throughout the third quarter, but were unable to catch up.  The score was 31-40 going into the final period.  That's when the game got interesting.

Justin Patterson was first to score in the fourth quarter with two points.  After one point after from a Tornillo free-throw, the Loboes were on a roll.  Paterson scored again, this time for three points.  Ricky Rivera and Arnold Rodriguez then each scored two points.  The Loboes trailed by a single digit, 40-41.  When Rivera went to the free-throw line after a foul, Tornillo knew they had fouled the wrong man.  Rivera put Monahans in the lead by scoring on both free-throws.  After two Tornillo free-throws, Chris Roberson was fouled on a successful two-pointers, and sank the free-throw for a three-point play.  Monahans was now in the lead 45-43.  Afterward, the score stayed within one or two points.  A three-pointer from Roberson put the Loboes in a 48-47 lead.  Then, Tornillo made two, two point field goal to put them in a three-point lead with less the an eight seconds on the clock.  Lobo fans prayed for a three-pointer, but when Rivera was fouled to make the score 50-51.  Either Rivera could have made his free-throw to tie up the game and send the game into over-time, or he could missed and Monahans could have score on the rebound with less than two seconds on the clock for two-points and the win.  The suspense was alleviated when the free-throw shot was missed, and the rebound fell into the hands of the a Coyote.

High scorers were Patterson with 14, followed by Rodriguez with 10.

The one-point loss ended the basketball season for the Loboes.

Keyed by Alvin Porras, Senior '07