Thunder under Fire, lose two to Potawatomi

BERNALILLO — A 27-point deficit in the second half can sometimes be overcome, if you’ve got a quarterback like Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes under center.

But this was a professional basketball game being played the afternoon of April 6 in the Bernalillo High School gym. The Basketball League’s Santa Ana Thunder trailed defending TBL champ Potawatomi, 95-80, after three periods, having reduced that massive deficit to a workable 15 points.

The Thunder then put on an impressive run, outscoring Potawatomi 27-6 to grab what turned out to be a brief lead, 104-101.

The teams stayed within several points of each other with the final tie at 110. But Potawatomi, with its players looking gassed late, managed to close out the game on a 10-4 run to remain undefeated.

Edward Oliver-Hampton had a double-double to lead the Thunder, 29 points and 12 rebounds. Christiopher Bradford scored 26 points, Bakarie Evelyn had 20, Bradlee Lewis added 14 and Darnel Rushton chipped in with 10. The Fire also had five double-figure scorers.

Potawatomi 109, Santa Ana 96: There was no impressive second-half comeback on Sunday when the teams met again in the afternoon, with the Thunder’s lone lead of the game at 5-4.

Potawatomi (8-0) led 31-17 at the end of the first half, and that was reduced to an eight-point bulge, 50-42 at intermission.

The Fire won the second half to escape with a sweep, 31-28 in the third quarter and 28-26 in the fourth. The Thunder (2-4) got as close as six points (85-79) in the final quarter.

Bradford led Santa Ana with 27 points, Rushton finished with 165, Ty Sean Powell had 13, Oliver-Hampton had 12 and 11 rebounds, and Evelyn added 10.

After having their best game of the young season from behind the arc on Saturday, when they made 10 of 24 3-point attempts, the Thunder were a dismal 4 of 17 from long range on Sunday.

The Fire were even worse Sunday, connecting on only two of 17 attempts — but they won the game, again with five players in double figures.

Dribbles: The Thunder are on the road this week, playing at Shreveport-Bossier April 12 and at the Texas 76ers on April 13. The Thunder return to BHS April 20-21 to play the 76ers both nights; the Saturday game tips off at 7 p.m.; the Sunday game starts at 3 p.m.