Warriors grind their way to overtime win

Behind 18 points from Jaquavis Brawley and 15 from Andrew Handrich, Socorro snapped a four[1]game losing streak on Tuesday with a dramatic 69-63 overtime win over Sandia Prep. It was a win that Warriors coach Ray Gonzales felt was coming after Socorro had dropped the first two games of a six-game home stretch.

“I think this is the most focused I have seen the guys before a game,” Gonzales said. “They have been concentrating on tonight.”

Some of that focus derived from a 67-65 loss the Warriors (4-11) took against Santa Fe Prep on Jan. 20 after Socorro let a 10-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter. The win over Sandia Prep (3-14) proved costly, with Joshua Gutierrez dropping out in the first quarter due to a knee injury and Jacob Robinson tweaking an ankle in the fourth quarter.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has been biting Socorro. Gutierrez’s injury put Handrich on the court for the first time since missing a couple of games due to a concussion, and he responded by making his first two shots and scoring a team-high ten points in the first half.

Brawley added eight points over the first two frames, and his defensive play and the ability to create turnovers stood out. The sophomore scored 10 of Socorro’s 14 fourth-quarter points. Still, Sandia Prep managed to tie the game at 54-54.

After scoring just one point on a second-quarter free throw, Alex Amaro caught fire and started the Warriors on a 15-point overtime surge. The senior point guard scored seven points in overtime as Socorro seized the momentum immediately and never let go.

The Warriors have another three games at home, with Jemez Valley in town Friday (6:30 p.m.), Tohatchi (Jan. 30), and Hatch Valley (Feb. 6).

Scoring – Andrew Handrich 15, Jaquavis Brawley 18, Fernando Torres 6, Alex Amaro 8, Jacob Robinson 9, William Griego 8, Luke Ganadonegro 4.