Bronco boys pull off improbable comeback at Enterprise tourney

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School boys basketball team hit the road for an 806-mile round trip to Enterprise this past Friday and Saturday, December 15-16 to play in a two-day round robin tournament hosted by the Wolves.
The Broncos opened against Rowland Hall Friday night and it was clear that the long journey had affected the team. Though they kept pace with the Winged Lions for most of the first half, they were playing uninspired basketball.
Heading toward halftime Rowland Hall began to really seize the momentum. At the break San Juan trailed by 15 points, and two minutes into the third quarter they found themselves down by 20, 45-25.
That’s when the Broncos pulled the ol’ switcheroo. They began to press and suddenly it was two different teams on the court. San Juan was relentless, forcing numerous Rowland Hall turnovers and turning them into points nearly every time.
Over the next three minutes the Broncos went on an 18-0 run to erase the deficit and make the score 45-43. With 41 seconds left in the third Jaiten Knight hit a left-wing three to officially complete the comeback as San Juan tied the game at 49-all.
They weren’t satisfied though. Justice Black banked in a putback with 13 seconds remaining to give the Broncos their first lead since very early in the game 51-49 at the end of three.
Amazingly, San Juan continued with the press for the remainder of the game, helping them build a 12-point lead nearing the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
The Winged Lions rallied, pulling back to within four points in the last minute of the game. But the Broncos regrouped for a strong finish, holding off Rowland Hall and pulling off a stunning 67-63 come-from-behind win.
San Juan had been outscored by Rowland Hall 21-7 in the second quarter but returned the favor, outscoring their opponents 29-12 in the third as part of the improbable comeback.
Jake Ivins led the team with 20 points, Anthony Done scored 19, Brigham Nielson and Jaiten Knight each had six, and Keaton Ivins and Justice Black both scored five in the win.
Knight hit two three-point baskets that were instrumental in the win – one to finally tie the game and the other to help establish the Broncos’ fourth-quarter lead. Nielson, Done, and RJ Dalley all had one trey apiece.
Ivins led the team with eight rebounds, Done had seven, Dalley pulled down six, and Tripp Palmer and Brigham Nielson collected five apiece.
The win propelled San Juan into the championship game of the tournament and set them up for an interesting rematch with American Heritage, who had beaten the Broncos 83-67 in Blanding just a week prior.
Without their star player, Newhai Winitana, the Patriots are still quite formidable, and they held their own against the San Juan attack, keeping the Broncos at arms-length for the entire game.
American Heritage led 25-19 after one quarter and 43-31 at halftime. But once again San Juan came out of the locker room to put on an unreal third quarter, outscoring the Patriots 20-9 to pull to within one point as the buzzer sounded 52-51.
Would the Broncos pull off another mind-blowing comeback? Sadly it was not to be. American Heritage seized control again in the fourth quarter, outscoring San Juan 21-13 to close out the game 73-64.
Despite the loss the Broncos continue to see positive signs of growth and have lots to build on as they prepare to head into the Christmas break. They held the Patriots, who have scored 90+ points on numerous opponents this season, to just 73 despite suffering the loss.
Done led scoring for San Juan in the championship game with 23 points. RJ Dalley caught fire and hit an impressive four three-pointers, ultimately scoring 18 points on the night.
Ivins and Jagger Nieves both scored eight apiece in the loss. Along with Dalley’s threes, Nieves and Done hit one apiece. Done led the team with seven rebounds and almost registered a double-double when he registered nine assists.
Following the games Bronco Head Coach Easton Nielson said he is proud of how his team is playing and excited for the rest of the season, though he admitted there is still lots they need to work on.
When this week began the Broncos sat at 4-6 on the season. They were set for one final game in 2023 – the annual pre-Christmas showdown with the longtime rival Monticello Buckaroos.
It was played on Tuesday, December 19, too late for the San Juan Record print deadline. Check the December 27 issue of the paper for coverage on that game.