Daniel Gomis couldn't make a free throw until it counted Tuesday night when The Community School Cutthroats hosted the defending Northside Conference champion Richfield Tigers on a snowy night at The Fish Tank in Sun Valley.
Gomis (21.8 ppg), the 6-9 transfer from Senegal who has energized Cutthroat boys' basketball fans, missed his first four charities of the night but made his final five—and lifted the Fish to a 47-41 league win. He finished the game with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots.
The Cutthroats out-rebounded the Tigers 35-18.
Playing without its star senior Michael Lezamiz, Richfield was led by senior Jose Rivas with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Zac Turnage (three 3s) added 11 points and 4 assists, and Tucker Smith had 8 points.
The Cutthroats (5-3, 4-1 league) stayed unbeaten in four home games despite squandering first-half leads of 10-0 and 20-5. Richfield (eight 3-pointers) clawed its way back into a 22-20 halftime deficit with five 3-pointers in the second period, combined with eight Fish turnovers in that period alone.
Both teams saved big runs for the third period—the Cutthroats using a 13-1 run to surge ahead 35-21, and the Tigers answering with an 18-2 run with Gomis in foul trouble to grab their first lead at 39-37 with two minutes remaining.
At that point, Cutthroat senior Paul Davis (11.1 ppg) drove the lane, was fouled and made both. Gomis followed Davis' lead, drove, was fouled and made his second free throw. Rivas put Richfield ahead for the final time at 41-40, then Gomis broke the Tiger press with an easy basket and Will Brokaw added a clutch charity.
Despite Gomis' spending about four of the last 10 minutes of the game on the bench, the Cutthroats held the fort until he returned and changed the momentum of the game.
Cutthroat contributors included Davis (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 assists), Tanner Flanigan (9 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, 3 assists, 3 blocked shots), Brokaw (6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists) and Hunter Weaver (7 rebounds, 3 steals).
The Cutthroats hosted Dietrich Thursday and entertain Twin Falls Christian today, Friday at 5 p.m.
Cutthroat senior Paul Davis beats Richfield’s Zac Turnage (right) for a big basket Tuesday night in Sun Valley. Photo by David N. Seelig
