Canyon Ends Katella’s Streak

Canyon Coach Rob Alexander used a new variation on an old defense Tuesday night to defeat a team coached by the county’s most veteran coach.

The Comanches got 21 points and 11 rebounds from center Drew Gaulden and 17 points and 15 rebounds from Ali Goodman in the 58-49 victory over visiting Katella, which is coached by 32-year veteran Tom Danley. Katella came into the nonleague game with 15 consecutive victories and no losses.

Alexander’s match-up zone defense, which resembled an old-fashioned 3-2 zone, was the key ingredient in Canyon’s 13th victory of the season.

Third-ranked Katella, the surprise team of the county during nonleague play, came out blazing and took a 19-10 lead at the outset of the second quarter on two free throws by junior forward Rob Abercrombie.

Following its ninth turnover of the game, No. 4 Canyon junked its 2-3 zone in favor of the 3-2 alignment. Suddenly Katella, which got all eight of its first-quarter field goals inside the paint, couldn’t get the ball inside to Abercrombie, who finished with 13 points, or to Brandon Jordan, who had 14 points.

And as Canyon began to take charge by extending the zone a bit, Katella was unable to hit its longer-range jumpers and managed just five points overall in the quarter.

“I was a little upset in the beginning,” Alexander said. “They were popping their shots and so we went to the matchup. I think our guys came out with too much excitement and enthusiasm and we just made turnover after turnover.”

Canyon committed 19 turnovers, 12 in the first half.

However, Goodman’s rebound and a basket just before halftime capped a 14-3 Comanche run and it gave Canyon the lead for good, 24-22.

The Comanches outscored the Knights, 21-11, in the third quarter and it was just too much for Katella to get back into this one. The Knights never got closer than seven points after that.

Katella shot six of 22 from the field in the second half and was outrebounded, 30-10, thanks in part to Goodman’s dominance under the basket. The 6-7 senior forward had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the final two quarters, several on tipins of his own misses.

Danley worried before the game that his team’s outside shooting, which has carried the Knights this year, might break down.

“It all came down to the fact that we beat ourselves because we couldn’t put the ball in the hole,” said Danley, who is chasing his 600th career victory. “We played probably the worst second quarter I have seen in my career.”