Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.
It may be Rancho's inside presence that takes the Rams deep into the playoffs, but it was long-range shooting and strong perimeter defense that carried the Rams on Monday.
Rancho guards Tyrell Timpson and Ariece Perkins combined for 36 points and no Coronado scorer got into double figures until the fourth quarter as the Rams rolled to a 77-53 win in their Sunrise Region quarterfinal.
"This is a good way of starting it," Rams coach Melvin Shivers said. "We prepare all season for this moment, now we've got to go on the road. I'm looking forward to playing at Coronado on Thursday."
Shivers' Rams will play Green Valley in Thursday's Sunrise Region semifinals, to be held at Coronado High School in Henderson.
Rancho came out lukewarm, up 16-9 at the end of the first quarter. But Shivers kept riding his players well into the second quarter as the Rams built a 33-11 lead as the first half wound down.
The Cougars were held to five field goals in the second and third quarters.
"They're known to hit 3s; we worked to make sure they didn't get a hot hand," Shivers said. "We wanted to make them put the ball on the floor, and we coasted the rest of the way."
It didn't help that Coronado's Brent Stockhausen played in foul trouble through the game, fouling out in the third quarter. With the few 3-point looks they were getting not falling, the Cougars were left with the unpleasant option of going inside on a Rancho roster with four players 6-foot-4 or taller.
Coronado got within 24 points of Rancho after the Rams went on a 9-2 run to start the second half.
Timpson, whose 19 points led all scorers, said it was Coronado's perimeter shooting that stuck out in his mind from the teams' prior game in December. The Rams won that game 58-47.
"They're an outstanding shooting team -- that's their focus," Timpson said. "We had to expand our zone, close out on the shooters and put a hand up on every shot. We worked to make sure they didn't get no easy looks."
By the time the Cougars did heat up from the perimeter, when Mark Thomas hit three consecutive 3-pointers to cut Rancho's lead from 33 points to 24, it was too late.
Coronado ended the season 15-11.
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