Pointers Down

HUSTLE PROPELS FARMINGTON BOYS TO NONCONFERENCE WIN

FARMINGTON -- Farmington boys basketball coach Beau Thompson figured his young team might take some early season lumps, but it's the Cardinals who have been dishing out defeat.

Class 6A Van Buren felt the sting when Farmington's big man, 6-foot-7 Austin Shelley, hit the winning basket with 2.3 seconds to go and the Cardinals prevailed, 54-52, on Monday, Nov. 25, at Cardinal Arena.

Senior point-guard Marqwaveon Watson, fresh off the football field in his role as starting quarterback, was on his way out-of-bounds when he threw the ball back to Shelley making the last second basket possible.

That was just one of a highlight reel full of Farmington hustle habitually turning a deflected or loose ball into opportunity. Earlier in the fourth Devonte Donovan blocked Van Buren's Brayden Gilmore underneath the basket. As the ball bounced towards the corner, sophomore Logan Burch's quick reaction enabled him to get to it first. Although momentum took him off the court, he played the ball off Van Buren's Damarius Newton and the Cardinals were awarded possession.

Farmington's defensive hustle kept them in the hunt from the get-go. In the first quarter Van Buren tried to go inside but a double-down shut off the baseline forcing the Pointers to pass the ball back out to the wing where Burch made a steal. He wasted no time beating a path towards the offensive end of the gym drawing a foul as he crossed halfcourt.

This type of effort typified Farmington's night. Carson Simmons' aggressive play caused a turnover with a deflection. Burch dove for the loose ball preventing a Pointer from picking it up as the ball went out-of-bounds off Van Buren. The Cardinals trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter Simmons threw a diagonal pass from the left wing to the right corner where Logan Landwehr, who led Farmington with 15 points, spotted up for a 3-pointer tying the game. Later going full speed chasing the play Watson's all-out hustle robbed Van Buren of a chance for fast-break points. Overtaking the play, he jumped into the passing lane and saved the ball to Landwehr in a sequence that closely resembled the final seconds of the fourth quarter except that it was at the opposite end of the court.

Landwehr went into transition mode pushing the ball downcourt and attacking the goal. He didn't score and the ball went out of play to Van Buren, but on the ensuing inbounds play Cade Young came away with a steal and took one dribble into the paint where he passed off to Simmons, who laid the ball in off the glass giving Farmington a four-point lead.

Burch also had a spectacular save hanging in the air after retrieving a Donovan block and getting the ball safely into Donovan's hands. That kind of defense helped Farmington limit Van Buren to six points in the second period. The Cardinals surged ahead with 15 points in the quarter to take a 25-20 halftime lead.

Farmington led 38-34 going into the fourth before Van Buren outscored Farmington 18-12 to tie the game setting the stage for Watson and Shelley to pull off heroics in the final minute.

Burch hit a pair of trifectas in the second half and scored 11 points. Shelley added 10, Watson, 6; Young, 4; Donovan, 4; Simmons, 2; and Riley Funk, 2.

Van Buren got 21 points from Salisbury while Gilmore added 15 and Newton had 10.

Farmington 54, Van Buren 52

Van Buren^14^6^14^18--^52

Farmington^10^15^13^16--^54

Van Buren (0-2): Avery Salisbury 21, Brayden Gilmore 15, Damarius Newton 10, Gary Phillips 6.

Farmington (2-0): Logan Landwehr 15, Logan Burch 11, Austin Shelley 10, Marqwaveon Watson 6, Cade Young 4, Devonte Donavan 4, Carson Simmons 2, Riley Funk 2.

Rebounds -- Farmington 32, Van Buren 33. Assists -- Farmington 16, Van Buren 10. Steals -- Farmington 9, Van Buren 4. Blocks -- Farmington 2, Van Buren 2.

Sports on 12/04/2019