Tigers take last minute win in District Tourney

By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media

From a slow start to a WOW what a game finish!! as the Tigers hosted the West Las Vegas Dons to open the first round of tourney play in district 2AAA.

Down by as much as 15 points early on in the game the it looked like it might be a long night. Turnovers and missed shots plagued the Tigers early on yet they simply didn't give up. The free throw line wasn't visited by the Tigers near as much as the Dons did. That simple fact proved to be the deciding factor in the first half. The Dons found the charity stripe 13 times doing better than 50% with nine points. While the Tigers made the trip only five times with four points.

Second half action wasn't much better at the line for the Tigers yet Rashaan Craig went 7/7 free throws at the line. Rashaan made the difference in the fourth quarter for Raton going 4 of 4 free throws in the fourth and 12 points from the field.

As the game entered the fourth quarter Raton was down 44-36. The spark struck kindling and late in the fourth the score was tied at 53. Wow what a game it became. The lead changed a couple more times as the clocked ticked away. With less than a minute left Raton took the lead and went up by three. With less that 15 seconds left West missed a shot and now we are down to 5 seconds. Matt Ortiz at the line with the one and one and up it goes, he hits his first and it is a 61-57 game just enough to keep a 3-pointer from tying. A long pass down court and the buzzer sounds. Raton wins it 61-57 and will travel to Robertson for the next round of district tourney action.

WLV 19  12  13  13  57
Raton  7  17   12  25  61

Robertson High Point
Ruben Bustamonte 11 4 of 6 free throws
Joe Ortiz 17 and 4 of 4 free throws
Henry Flores 20 5 of 11 free throws
Free throws 15 of 25 attempts

Raton High Point
Rashaan Craig 26 7 of 7 free throws
Free Throws 11 of 13 attempts