12/4/2009 6:00:00 AM Bulldogs pass test in opening victory Boys rally to whip Mohave on road, host Havasu tonight
SHAWN BYRNE/Miner
Kameron Comins puts up a shot in front of the basket during Kingman High's scrimmage with Mohave Nov. 19 at KHS. Comins scored 15 points in the Bulldogs' 62-57 victory Tuesday at Mohave.
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KINGMAN - It may have been the opening game of the 2009-10 season, but the Kingman High boys basketball team passed a crucial test in Tuesday's 62-57 win over Mohave in Bullhead City. KHS will take those results into today's 7 p.m. game against Lake Havasu at home.
After the Bulldogs missed their first three shots of the game and the T-birds made their first five to hold leads of 10-0 and 16-5, KHS (1-0) fought back to take a 31-28 lead over Mohave (2-1) by halftime. At the end of the third quarter, KHS led 44-42, and its test was near.
The Bulldogs went up five early in the fourth, but Mohave battled back to knot things up.
"I knew that moment was critical to our season," KHS coach Dave Vance said. "We stepped up, and I'm really happy about that."
The Bulldogs not only halted the T-birds' run, but KHS went on a 6-0 run of its own to stay ahead for good.
"We found we could stave them off, hit shots and be all right," the coach said. "The team win was huge."
Danny Gonzalez and Trey Anthony each scored 17 points, and Kameron Comins added 15 to lead the Bulldogs.
"This was the first time in years we had three scorers like that," Vance said.
The game's unsung hero was point guard G. Herrera. He only scored two points, but he had nine assists and an outstanding defensive game. Herrera and Anthony combined to hold Mohave shooting star Skyler Hood to a quiet 17 points.
"G.'s stats look like he was a non-factor," Vance said. "We were willing to share the ball, and G. set that tone by making feeds inside."
Kenny Duford hit a couple of 3-pointers, Zack Clough added three, and Chris Smith had two to round the Bulldogs' scoring.
"Zack had a nice game," the coach said. "He did a nice job outside and in the post. We have more versatility then we've had in the past."
Anthony and Comins each had seven rebounds, and the fact KHS had the balanced scoring from the top three gives the team promise.
"Trey got easy shots," Vance said. "And Kameron played with intensity inside. He was real physical."
Herrera's ball-handling skills were noticed, with only three turnovers to go with his nine assists. And by holding Mohave to 57, Vance saw his defense step up to the challenge.
"Our team defense was a huge improvement," he said.
Havasu (1-0) comes in off of a 58-39 win over Parker. It's a back-to-back contest for the Knights, who played Mohave Thursday.
