Broncos put on defensive showcase in win over Coyotes

The win extended Poston Butte’s win streak to six games and keeps the squad undefeated in regional play.

From the opening tip, the Broncos knew that this was a game they needed in order to get their legs back under them. Coach Savannah Bix detailed that the team “hadn’t been playing their best” recently, wanting Friday night’s game to give her girls a spark.

Bix’s players responded right away, getting out to an early lead thanks to their smothering defense and shot-making ability.

Senior Adrianna Bachman led the team in points, scoring 17 points in the contest.

On the defensive side, while everyone pitched in, Autumn Thomas shined brightest. The sophomore guard came up with two blocks in the game, while also providing stifling perimeter defense.

On the other side of the floor, it was a rough night for the Coyotes. However, senior forward Kiley Bush proved why she is her team’s star player.

Despite being double-teamed for most of the night, Bush was still able to make shots for Combs, scoring 11 of the team’s 17 total points in the game.

“It’s great to have her on the team, she is determined, whenever she gets the ball, she is willing to score,” Coyotes head coach Kameron Thomas said. “I’ll tell her to go score and she will, she is very coachable. Even with adversity, she doesn’t give up.”

Although Bush put together an admirable performance, the night belonged to Poston Butte.

The Broncos limited the Coyotes to just two points in the entire second half, showing that playing tough defense is something they want to hang their hats on.

“That’s awesome, our goal is to keep (teams) under 30 (points),” Bix said. “Kiley Bush is a heck of a player, but we limited her as much as we could and made a couple of minor adjustments during the half and the girls responded.”

Bix said that Friday’s game was one that “the team needed,” reiterating their struggles in recent games.

“It was a team win, our defense is what really gets us going,” she said. “We are not good enough offensively to not love defense, so that has always been our go-to ever since I have been here. It’s always fun playing Combs, they are right down the road from us, so everyone was a little fired up for tonight, it was a lot of fun.”

Moving forward, the Broncos currently sit at the top of the 4A East Sky standings. While Bix said that their goal is to stay undefeated in regional play, it will still be a tough task as they come to the end of the regular season.

“I think the girls had the mindset that it was going to be a little easier this year, but our region is a lot better this year,” she said. “There is a ton of good teams in the mix… So we have to rise to the occasion and play even better. After February 1, it is a new season.”