Bonanza finally runs off Desert Oasis in OT

If there was ever an advertisement for the cliche “basketball is a game of runs,” it was Friday’s Northwest League contest between Desert Oasis and host Bonanza.

Desert Oasis and the Bengals traded scoring runs — and the lead — for four quarters. But, fittingly, Bonanza put together one final burst in overtime to pull away.

John Holden scored 20 points and had eight rebounds, and Bonanza rode an 11-2 spurt in the extra session to a 71-63 victory.

“Overall, we played 10 times better in the second half,” Bengals coach Eric Markuson said. “This year, we’ve done a pretty good job of coming out in the second half. I’m so proud of their effort. They didn’t quit; they didn’t give up.”

Jamal Logan scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and overtime for Bonanza (11-5, 1-1 Northwest), and teammate DaVonta Price finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Desert Oasis (12-7, 1-1) led by as many as nine points in the fourth and 55-50 with 2:42 to play in regulation. Travis Jenkins made a 3-pointer for Bonanza to cut the Diamondbacks’ lead to 55-53, and Jenkins’ jumper from the right wing with 58 seconds left tied the game at 57.

“Travis had done a really good job coming off the bench this year,” Markuson said. “I expect a lot of good things from him, and he stepped in and really played well.”

The Diamondbacks had two shots at the end of regulation to win the game but couldn’t convert. In overtime, Drevin Cannon scored off the opening tip to put Desert Oasis ahead 59-57 before the Bengals scored the next eight points.

Price, who had foul trouble in the first half, went coast to coast for a layup to put Bonanza ahead 61-59, and his breakaway slam after a steal gave the Bengals a 65-59 advantage with two minutes remaining.

“I think that dunk DaVonta had ignited us a bit,” Markuson said. “We struggled in the first half without him. It was a big lift having him back in the second half. The kids feed off him.”

Aamondae Coleman led Desert Oasis with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Taiga Miyano and Rodrick Moore had 13 points for the Diamondbacks, and Cannon scored 12.

Desert Oasis closed the first quarter on a 16-3 run and finished the second quarter on an 11-0 spurt to take a 29-20 halftime lead. But the Diamondbacks shot 23.5 percent (8-for-34) in the second half and overtime.

“We’re not the biggest and we’re not the fastest, but we’ve got all kinds of heart,” Markuson said. “To come back and win this game tells me a lot about their character.”

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.