Grinch Installs Lid On Cardinal Basket

CARDS GO ICE-COLD VS. BULLDOGS 17 MINUTES WITHOUT A POINT

FARMINGTON — Like a mischievous apparatus installed by the Grinch there appeared to be a lid on Farmington’s basket.

An extended scoring drought that lasted a full 17 minutes brought the house down like a tumbling deck of Cards — Cardinal boys basketball that is. Farmington suffered a 69-39 blowout loss to the visiting 7A Springdale Bulldogs on Dec. 5.

The first quarter was no indication of what was coming. Skyler Montez and Jacob Gray hit 3-pointers for the Cardinals. Xavier Staten drove as Farmington beat the press and dished to Gray for a layup. Jaylen Montez hit a trey to account for the third lead change of the first, which gave Farmington an 11—10 lead. Gray then rebounded and threw a fullcourt pass to Mason Downs for a layup. Payton Maxwell drove to the hoop and laid the ball in off the glass in a crowded lane for an early 15-12 Farmington lead with 2:26 to go in the first.

The Cardinals didn’t score for the next 2:25 of the first quarter, nor for the entire second quarter although Skyler Montez had a driving shot in the lane taken away by the officials. Instead of an “And One” situation with a free-throw forthcoming, the Cardinals in-bounded underneath their own basket trailing 15-20 at the 3:53 mark of the second. Having the made field goal disallowed was disheartening to a team struggling to find the bucket and they couldn’t score on the in-bounds play. Farmington missed a contested layup on the run after taking a steal the length of the court with 2:02 remaining in the first half and the missed shots started to tell.

Springdale opened up a 10-point, 25-15, halftime lead which was extended to 48-24 after the third quarter. Maxwell ended Farmington’s scoring drought when he scored with 3:25 to play in the third. Springdale (3-2) made seven 3-pointers. Sophomore Trentez Scales had 21 points, Carl Fitch, 13; and Tavari Eckwood, 12.

“Springdale shot the ball well at our place, but you can’t go a quarter and a half without scoring and expect to beat anybody,” said Farmington coach Beau Thompson. “We’re just really struggling offensively right now.”

SPRINGDALE HIGH 69, FARMINGTON 39

Springdale 15 10 23 21 — 69 Farmington 15 0 9 15 — 39 Springdale (3-2): Trentez Scales 21, Carl Fitch 13, Tavari Eckwood 12, Marquis Donahoo 9, Joe Jibke 5, Keyon Johnson 3, Jajuan Boyd 2, Cade Ratliff 2, Nick Coulter 2. Farmington (3-3): Skyler Montez 10, Payton Maxwell 10, Cade Killion 6, Jacob Gray 5, Xavier Staten 5, Mason Downs 3.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington’s Mason Downs goes to the hoop against Springdale High. The Cardinals suffered a 17-minute scoring drought which contributed to a 69-39 loss to the 7A Bulldogs on Dec. 5.