Class 2A -- Prosser boys can't find their range in loss to Cheney

TACOMA -- Strong-willed as they are, Prosser's boys figured if the rim wouldn't open up for them they would still find a way to win. These are, after all, state-championship football players with a mind to apply the same hard-nosed principals on the court.

But Wednesday wasn't about knocking somebody into the grass. It was about getting that darn rim to open up.

And it just wouldn't.

"That was like a bad dream come true," offered a perplexed Prosser coach Joe Prior. "We told the kids at halftime to stay positive. You're still leading and it's bound to get better for us."

But cold shooting -- and often from a frustratingly close range -- eventually caught up with the Mustangs, enabling unheralded Cheney to pull off a 54-46 upset over fifth-ranked Prosser on opening day of the Class 2A state tournament.

The Mustangs shot 33.3 percent in the first half and led 23-22 at the break. They even extended the margin to 35-28 in the third quarter and threatened to run off with it.

But the long and lean Blackhawks stayed just close enough to wait for Prosser's real icy streak to hit and it came at the worst time for the Mustangs, whose only field goal in the final four minutes was a Cody Bruns' 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.

"Shooting-wise we just couldn't get things to go our way," said Bruns, who suffered the brunt of the rim-lock, going 4-for-21 with nine points and eight rebounds. "I tried to stay confident in my shot, and normally it will work itself out. It's hard to explain, very frustrating."

Without a viable perimeter threat, Prosser relied heavily on workhorse Kellen Crawford, who responded with 17 points and
14 rebounds. As the game wore on, Cheney dropped more and more of its defense around the burly 6-foot-5 Crawford and he, too, found it difficult to get off clean shots.

"It certainly did get frustrating," he said. "The shots weren't falling, and at the end we weren't getting the rebounds and loose balls -- which is normally our thing."

Even with its shooting woes -- the final numbers were 17-for-58 for 29.3 percent -- Prosser still led
41-39 on a Bruns' backcourt steal and layin with 4:10 left. The Mustangs had their trademark quick-hands pressure all over Cheney, which committed 23 turnovers.

But a quick 5-0 burst by the Blackhawks got them the lead and, with two minutes left, they got in the double bonus. Over the final 2:23, Cheney got to the foul line eight times and put the game away.

"In the fourth quarter we possessed the ball a lot better. Prosser's pressure was giving us all sorts of problems," said Cheney coach Ryan Fitzgerald, whose team came in with the No. 3 seed out of the Great Northern district. "We also rebounded well and hit our free throws. Before that it was a little ugly."

With a rotation of four front-line players who were 6-2 or taller -- all with long wingspans -- the Blackhawks were able to rebound with the rugged Mustangs, who have only been outboarded once this season. Prosser's edge Wednesday was 39-37.

"They have some big guys who are athletic," Prior noted. "When we had that lead in the third quarter I thought we were close to breaking it open. But those shots just wouldn't go."

Prosser (19-5) must fight off its disappointment and enter the
loser-out bracket today. The Mustangs face R.A. Long (16-8) at noon instead of the quarterfinal showdown they were hoping for against Burlington-Edison.

"If any group can bounce back, it's this one," Prior said. "It's a new tournament now -- the wrong side -- but we really want to stay here through the weekend."

"We felt good today and felt confident, to tell the truth" Crawford said. "But it didn't work out for us. I still think we can play with anybody here."

CHENEY -- Smalls 0, Schmidt 1, D. Jones 8, Peterson 0, Sigley 2, Cleary 0, Shellabarger 0, Daniel Igbinoba 10, Brandan Hardie 12, Sprenger 8, Oyoloker 7, G. Jones 6. Totals 19-42 16-28 54.

PROSSER -- Durbin 5, Galvan 0, Gannon 4, Flores 0, D. Crawford 0, Bruns 9, Pilot 4, Moore 7, Kellen Crawford 17. Totals 17-58 11-21 46.

Cheney 14 8 13 19 -- 54

Prosser 17 6 12 11 -- 46

Highlights: K. Crawford (P) 14 rebounds, 3 steals; Jordan Durbin (P) 3 steals; Cody Bruns (P) 8 rebounds.

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