It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Combs Coyotes had no problem doing just that on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 66-64 win over the Firebirds. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Combs got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Johnathon Byaus out in front who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. Byaus is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last 13 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Tuckfield, who scored 17 points along with two steals.
Several Firebirds players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Rhys Walcott, who scored 16 points along with seven assists and three steals. Walcott has been hot recently, having posted 16 or more points the last four times he's played. Alex Burns was another key contributor, scoring 18 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Combs pushed their record up to 19-9 with that win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Eastmark, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 16-11.
Combs will head out on the road to take on American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Combs will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Arizona Rankings (they are ranked 100th, while American Leadership Academy - Gilbert North is ranked 23rd). Eastmark does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
