Prep Basketball BOYS : The Duke Doesn’t Show Up and the Cowboys Are Beaten, 70-66

Where was John Wayne when the Cowboys needed him?

The Duke leading the cavalry to the rescue was just what the Canyon High Cowboys basketball team needed Friday night against the Hart Indians. That and a couple more hoops.

Chalk one up for the Indians, who held off a late Cowboy charge to defeat Canyon, 70-66, in a nonleague game at College of the Canyons. The Hart win avenged last week’s 56-53 defeat to the Cowboys at the Hart Invitational Tournament.

The Indians improved their season record to 9-4 by hitting pressure free throws in the fourth quarter and not caving in to Canyons’ full-court press--despite the absence of their top player, forward Dirk Hare, who fouled out with 2:18 to go.

The final 2:18 must have seemed like an eternity to Hart Coach Doug Michelson, whose club held a 61-55 lead when Hare went to the bench with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Guard Kevin Honaker bailed the Indians out, scoring seven of Hart’s nine points in the final 2:18, including all five of his free throws.

As a team, the Indians canned 12 of 13 free throws in the fourth quarter and 28 of 34 (82%) overall.

Hart was paced offensively by guard Greg Spencer, who scored 21 points, including 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Honaker had 18 points, nine in the fourth period. Jim Baroni chipped in with 12 points.

Canyon (8-5), was led by center Butch Mettinger, who scored 21, 13 in the final quarter. Guard Darrin Moloznik added 20 points for the Cowboys.

Hart led nearly the entire game, jumping to a 14-13 lead after one period thanks to six points by Honaker.

The Indians extended their advantage to 32-28 at the half behind Spencer’s nine-point second period.

In the meantime, the Hart defense had limited Mettinger, a Hart Invitational all-tournament pick, to only six points.

Canyon fought back in the third period and went ahead, 42-40, on Moloznik’s 10-foot jumper from the baseline with 2:40 to go, but Hart regained the lead, 46-40, on Spencer’s two free throws and led 48-44 by the quarter’s end.