Santa Fe outlasts Columbia in a physical high school boys hoops matchup

In the high school boys basketball matchup between the Santa Fe Raiders and Columbia Tigers Tuesday night, the Tigers were unable to suppress the Raiders’ electric offense. Coming off of a game Monday night, the Raiders showed no signs of weariness or exhaustion. They brought intensity and focus throughout the entire game.

Honoring a Legendary Coach

Prior to tipoff, the Santa Fe Athletic Department honored the 2020-21 Boy’s Basketball team which barely fell short in the state championship a year ago. Elliot Harris, the head coach who led the Raiders to the state championship, retired last March after 13 seasons coaching for his alma mater. In honor of his dedication to the program and accomplishments as the head coach, the Santa Fe Athletic Department retired jersey #23. Then presented Harris with a framed jersey bearing his name on the back. Surrounded by his former players, Harris was taken aback by the honor.

The Tigers Keep it Close

Despite an emotional ceremony leading up to the game, the Raiders took the court with focus and determination. Santa Fe opened the first half by taking advantage of sloppy Columbia turnovers. Columbia sophomore point guard Jerome Carter got the offense rolling for the Tigers with a baseline drive floater. Immediately, Santa Fe sophomore shooting guard Braylon Guyden responded by draining a three-point shot.

Columbia Head Coach Steve Faulkner called a timeout with 3:23 left in the first quarter, which led to the Tigers bringing an up-tempo offense to the court. The Raiders responded by incorporating their full-court press in order to slow down the Tigers in the back court. With 15 seconds left in the first quarter, Santa Fe junior point guard Dontrell Jenkins nailed a three-point shot to take an 11-9 lead over the Tigers.

The Raiders’ Offense Takes Over

At the beginning of the second quarter, Columbia couldn’t handle Santa Fe’s Jenkins. The junior point guard knocked down a baseline jumper and shortly followed it up with a layup off a Tiger turnover to extended the Raiders lead to 15-9. With 5:18 left in the second, Santa Fe shooting guard Braylon Guyden hit a three, followed by Makhi Lewis’ layup to force a Columbia timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, the Raiders once again slowed down the Tigers with a strong full-court press. Santa Fe junior forward Mason Brown forced a Tiger turnover with a steal at mid-court. He capitalized with a layup at the other end. The Raiders led 25-13 with 4:17 left in the half.

Columbia senior forward Marcus Peterson had a layup with 3:52 left in the second quarter to close the score gap. However, Santa Fe sophomore forward Duke Lewis banked a three to extend the Raiders’ lead to 28-15. In the last 2:51 of the half, both squads lacked defensive discipline, resulting in the Raiders holding onto a 36-26 lead at halftime.

Jenkins and Brown Lead the Way

The Tigers took to the court in the second half struggling to maintain possession of the basketball. Santa Fe had back-to-back steals which led to quick buckets for Jenkins and Brown.

Lopsided scoring was the theme of the third quarter. Jenkins’ three-pointer with 5:10 to play in the period extended the Raiders’ commanding lead to 45-28. The Tigers scrambled to slow down the Raiders, implementing full-court press.

The Tigers made a 10-4 run on the Raiders, closing the scoring gap to nine points. However, this didn’t last long as Brown brought the crowd to its feet with a thunderous slam with 2:50 left in the period. The Raiders led 49-38.

Jenkins drained a step-back, crossover three-pointer. He followed it up with jump-shot with 1:50 left in the third quarter to put the Raiders up 52-41.

Broxey’s Efforts Not Enough for the Tigers

Santa Fe entered the fourth quarter with a 55-44 lead over Columbia.

Turnovers continued to cause problems for the Tigers. With 6:02 to play, a perfectly executed Santa Fe trap led to a massive dunk at the other end by Brown. He extend the Raiders’ lead 58-48.

Columbia junior guard Isaac Broxey brought the Tigers within 10 by knocking down two free throws with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter. The Tigers continued to inch closer to the Raiders with a layup by Broxey, resulting in a 52-60 score with 4:30 to go. The Tigers played lockdown defense, rallying within four points of the Raiders with 2:30 to play.

Down 66-60, Columbia forced a Santa Fe turnover with 1:43 to go. Columbia was able to keep the game close at the end with a baseline floater and two layups, but Santa Fe sealed the 73-67 victory by draining five clutch free throws.

Keeping a Defensive Mindset

Following the game, Santa Fe Head Coach Glen Banks affirmed that lockdown defense was the key to the victory. He added the athleticism of his team gives the Raiders the opportunity to take their defensive play to the next level.

Looking to post-season, Coach Banks said the Raiders will continue to focus on tough defense as they prepare for their next opponent.