Clinging to hopes of making it to the postseason playoffs the Douglas Bulldog basketball team took won two of three games last week.
 Alexio Esquer is fouled as he drives to the basket in the Bulldogs game with Empire last week. The Bulldogs beat the Ravens 67-60 in overtime. Bruce Whetten/Douglas Dispatch |
Douglas then lost to Cienega 65-44 Jan. 19 and came back on Friday to beat Bisbee 72-62.
Against Bisbee the Bulldogs led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter and 37-32 at the half.
In the second half the Bulldogs built a 10 point lead coming away with the win.
Senior Jesse Arias led Douglas in scoring with 23 points. Alexio Esquer followed with nine and Luis Padilla and Ignacio Valenzuela each followed with eight.
In the loss to Cienega Douglas got off to a slow start and never recovered.
The Bulldogs trailed 15-5 at the end of the first quarter and were down 35-14 at the half.
The Bulldogs stayed even with the Bobcats but never could reduce the 21 point first half deficit.
Arias scored 27 points to lead Douglas this game. Xavier Altamirano followed with six and Valenzuela contributed five.
Against Empire Douglas had a 33-31 lead at the half as Arias had 18 of the Bulldogs’ total points.
Douglas upped that lead to 49-39 heading into the fourth quarter.
Empire went on a 7-0 run to start the quarter pulling within three.
Deadlocked at 58 in the final seconds Arias drove to the basket with two seconds remaining and scored what many felt was the game winning shot. Arias was called for an offensive foul however and the game went to overtime.
In the overtime period Empire went cold shooting 0 for 6 at one point as Douglas built a 64-58 lead.
Douglas outscored the Ravens 9-2 that quarter coming away with a seven point win.
Arias scored 29 points this game. Altamirano followed with 12, Jesus Cordova followed with eight and Padilla and Esquer each contributed seven.
The two of three wins last week gives Douglas a 15-6 overall record and keeps them 14th in the power rankings. The top 16 make the state playoffs.
Bulldog basketball coach Oscar Mariscal said he was pleased with how his team played last week.
The coach said his team played well against Empire and Bisbee and was pushed all four quarters by both teams.
Against Empire Douglas struggled with its shooting; fell behind early and never could catch up.
“We stayed even with them the second half,” he said. “It was the first half that killed us.”
Douglas was at Benson last night and will host Tombstone this Friday night in a 7:30 p.m. game in the DHS gym.
Coach Mariscal said his team will have its Senior Night the following week against Rio Rico.
The departing DHS seniors and their parents will be honored at halftime of the game.
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