Dexter Zinman is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Central High School for AZPreps365

PHOENIX - Strong starts and strong responses were recurring themes throughout Central High School’s final varsity girls basketball game of the season. Then, in the fourth quarter, the better team pulled away.  

The Carl Hayden Falcons defeated the Central Bobcats 54-46 Tuesday night, spoiling Central’s last game and senior night festivities. The final score was deceptive in that it depicted the game as much more lopsided than it actually was.

“The only thing that I didn’t like was we didn’t score enough points to win the game.” Central head coach Loren Woods said. “ That’s the only thing I didn’t like. I mean my ladies battled.”

Battle they did. The Bobcats’ first two quarters were slow starts to say the least. Carl Hayden opened the first quarter with a run of eight unanswered points. They then did it again to open the second quarter. 

In the first of these rough opening stretches, Woods called a timeout immediately following the 8-0 basket.

“We’ve had a lot of games like this,” Woods said, “We start off slow, and then we’ve got to get our momentum going and get our energy up, and start making some plays.”

Central’s response mentality was evident for the remainder of the game. After the timeout the Bobcats speedily sent the ball down the court where Paola Fonseca scored the team’s first basket of the game.

Fonseca was one of Central’s two Bobcat seniors who were honored during a halftime ceremony. The other was Shanaya Cortez, who injured her leg in the second half and participated in the senior night festivities on crutches.

It was an inspiring image, and one fitting of the mentality the Bobcats displayed in the second half.

The Bobcats rallied around their seniors. Playing on senior night clearly meant a lot to the team as a whole.

“It was very emotional for our seniors,” sophomore Evelyn Flores said of the ceremony. “It also gives more motivation so we know what to do and make it a better night for our seniors.”

“We did do our best,” echoed sophomore Lia Sims.

Their best was almost good enough. Trailing 28-19 entering the third quarter, Central had a strong start of its own. The Bobcats scored nine unanswered points to tie the game, 28-28.

Sims scored two baskets in the third quarter to go along with her 13 points on the night. Fonseca, who scored Central’s first points of the game, finished her night with 11 points, including a basket and two free throws in the third quarter.

Carl Hayden head coach Michael Morris saw Central’s response to his team’s strong start as an opportunity for his players to continue learning the game.

“I think what happens when you’re dealing with young players, is situational basketball they’re not aware,” Morris said. “They’ll learn as they go through the season, but situational ball is something that you learn through experience.”     

To Carl Hayden’s credit, it too had a response to a strong start from their opponent.

After finishing the third quarter leading only 34-32, the Falcons outscored Central 20-14 in the fourth quarter to finish off the win.

Morris was impressed overall with how his team played throughout the game.

“I liked the passing, the team chemistry, the moving the ball, and helping each other on the help defense,” Morris said.

Central’s coach Woods had a lot of praise for his team as well, not just for their play in this game but for the whole season.

“We’re basically playing with a team that is not as experienced as most teams in the city,” Woods said. “We don’t have a JV team, instead, all of our girls, we play varsity, that’s it. But I mean they play hard, and they play their butts off in practice and they played their butts off in the game.”

Sims and Flores both had a postgame mentality of knowing their game could improve, and looking forward towards next season.

“It was a lot of intensity, it was our very last game, senior night, but once again it is what it is and we always prepare for next season,” Sims said.

The Bobcats finish their season with a 2-9 record ranked fourth in the 5A Metro. Carl Hayden finishes with a 7-8 record ranked second in the 5A Metro.