Basketball Recap: Josh Dawes' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Tohatchi over Robertson

After flying high against Aztec last Friday, Tohatchi came back down to earth. The Tohatchi Cougars took a 61-50 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Robertson Cardinals on Saturday. The Cougars' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Several Cougars players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Josh Dawes, who posted 18 points in addition to five assists and five boards. Dawes has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Adriano Begay, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 17 boards.

Even though they lost, Tohatchi smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Robertson got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was George Smith out in front who went 7 of 13 on his way to 20 points in addition to six boards and three blocks. Those three blocks gave Smith a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathan Gonzales, who had 12 points along with eight boards and four blocks.

Tohatchi's defeat dropped their record down to 8-2. As for Robertson, the win was the seventh in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 7-2.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. After both having extra time off, Tohatchi and Aztec will shake off the cobwebs and face off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025. One thing working in Aztec's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups. As for Robertson, a feisty cat fight will be fought when the Robertson Cardinals face off against the Taos Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Robertson's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last eight games.