EVERETT —Conner Longoria scored 15 points and Josh Parafina added 14 to lead Archbishop Murphy to a 61-50 win over Granite Falls Friday night that gave the Wildcats their fourth-straight victory.
After watching his team get off to a slow start, Archbishop Murphy head coach Jamar Williams made the switch from zone to man-to-man defense to slow down the Tigers. The Wildcats used their defense to get easy baskets in transition and outscore Granite Falls 18-11 in the second quarter and take a two-point halftime lead.
After an evenly played third quarter, Archbishop Murphy flexed its offensive muscle, scoring 22 points in the final quarter to lock up the win.
Parafina and Longoria have emerged as leaders for the Wildcats, and both came up big in the second half. Longoria grabbed eight rebounds and Parafina dished out four assists to go along with their double-digit point totals.
“Longoria did a great job getting rebounds on the defensive end,” Williams said. “He did a better job finishing at the rim in the second half, and (Josh) Parafina hit some big 3-pointers. He gave us some energy to propel us in the fourth quarter.”
After starting the season with some early losses in a tough non-league schedule, the Wildcats have come on as of late. With a 7-2 league record, the Wildcats currently sit tied for second place with Cedarcrest in the Cascade Conference.
“We are getting acclimated playing with one another,” Williams said of his team’s success. “We are committed to playing some team basketball and it’s really helped us down the stretch.”
Evan West scored a game-high 19 and Riley Larsen added 18 to lead the scoring for the Falcons.
At Archbishop Murphy H.S.
Granite Falls13111214—50
Arch. Murphy8181322—61
Granite Falls—Steven Hyvari 1, Riley Larsen 18, Evan West 19, Dan Matalomani 2, Alex O’Neill 0, Karl Spencer 8, Ezra Chavez 2. Archbishop Murphy—Abe Lucas 2, D’Andre Bryant 10, Connor Sand 3, Nolan Rogge 1, Darion Joseph 0, Chase White 6, Conner Longoria 15, Kerry Jackson 2, Josh Parafina 14, Ben Thacker 0, Connor Simmons 0, Tyler Klaudt 0, Anfernee Gurley 8. 3-point goals—Larsen 3, West 2, Bryant 2, Sand, White, Parafina 3. Records—Granite Falls 4-5 league, 7-8 overall. Archbishop Murphy 7-2, 7-8.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
