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Canyon suffers 5-point loss to rival Seligman

Vincent Alvarado, Seligman's senior point guard, has been frustrating opponents all season long. Against Grand Canyon on Saturday night, he seemingly countered every Phantom rally and stymied each potential momentum shift in this much-anticipated rematch.

Alvarado totaled 26 points in leading the Antelopes to a rewarding 54-49 win over host Grand Canyon, including four three-pointers and several impressive dashes to the hoop. By coming up with several steals and stretching the 'Lopes' lead to 14 points, he ignited a second-half rally for Seligman that proved to be too much for Head Coach Dan Lopez's squad to overcome.

"The worst part is, he's my nephew. He is one of the top guards in the state. The turning point in the game was his steals off our turnovers," Lopez said after the game.

Turnovers plagued the Phantoms, particularly in the first quarter, when they coughed the ball up 10 times. Many of those giveaways resulted from careless heaves down-court or anxious dribbles out-of-bounds. Nonetheless, Seligman is known for non-stop pressuring of the basketball.

"Seligman runs it (the press) well," senior David Robinson commented. "They're one of the best in the conference at trapping and pressuring the ball."

Lopez added, "The original scheme was to push the ball up the floor and get easy buckets for Dennis. But it resulted in a lot of careless passes for us."

Despite poor shooting and sloppy passing, Grand Canyon trailed by just one point at the end of one quarter after Hugh Campbell scored under the basket as the buzzer sounded.

The first half was marked by two strange goal tending calls ­ one on Deanard Walema that appeared to be clean, and another when Grand Canyon inadvertently slapped the backboard in an attempt to swat a Seligman lay-up. With a faster pace, both teams settled in and found a rhythm. Seligman, capitalizing off Grand Canyon's turnovers, led 25-20 at the first half's end.

The Antelopes came out in the third quarter looking to put the contest out of reach, and they nearly did just that. Alvarado created havoc by coming up with several steals near mid-court, which led to fast-break baskets for his team. After sinking a three-pointer, the elusive guard put an exclamation point on a 9-2 Seligman run.

But Dennis Booth had an answer. Scoring back-to-back buckets and swatting a few shots back at the 'Lopes, he stopped the bleeding and brought the Phantoms back to within a manageable 8-point deficit. Booth would finish the night with a team-high 18 points.

Entering the fourth quarter down just four points, the Phantoms had managed to withstand the visitors' strongest blow. Justin Kremer, who found open spots on the floor during the entire contest, scored two of his 13 points. A lay-up from Robinson and a basket from Dennis Booth off an Emanuel Webb miss gave Grand Canyon their first lead since the first quarter.

Walema, Seligman's center, fouled out of the contest, thus ending what had been an unproductive and frustrating night for him. After trading buckets ­ and the lead ­ several times, Grand Canyon and Seligman were tied at 47 with less than four minutes to play.

On the ensuing possession, Rohan Shetty of Seligman delivered a knockout punch. After successfully getting a defender into the air with a pump-fake, the lanky senior converted a tough three-point play inside after being fouled in the process. The 'Lopes led 50-47.

With less than a minute remaining, Seligman wisely played keep away. Passing the ball around the perimeter with little pressure from the Phantoms, the clock whittled to just 18 seconds before Lopez's team committed a necessary foul to freeze time. Clell Babers calmly sank two free throws to put Seligman up by four points. Unlike the last time these teams met, Grand Canyon marched to the line 19 times, but Seligman hit the ones that mattered most.

David Robinson endured a frustrating night. Seligman's pressure forced him into many turnovers, including a rare 5-second violation. However, he did not shy away from the basketball in the second half. Driving to the hoop and shooting from the perimeter when the opportunities presented themselves, Robinson refused to give up.

"It's just determination," he said. "I really wanted to win this one and help my team. We'll probably see them in the regional playoffs."

Lopez tried to put things in perspective.

"They've been beating teams by 20 to 30 points this year. Obviously, Alvarado had a big night. But we stuck with them."

Up next for the Phantoms is a Jan. 21 date with Shonto Prep on the road


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