Spectators got an early glimpse of the Sedona Red Rock High School boys basketball team when it went 4-1 at the 2017 Cowboy Summer Shootout, hosted at Camp Verde High School on Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17.

In some of first-year head coach Paul Bain’s first action at the helm, it began working on laying the foundation for the 2017-18 season when it played five games in two days.

“I’m trying to teach team defense, and there’s many levels to it,” Bain said. “We’re strong at the base, on the offensive end we’re trying to teach the fundamentals.”

The Scorpions had a mix of youth and experience, with incorporations such as freshmen Carlos Landaverde and Micha Johnson and sophomore Jackson Coughlin, along with seniors Hayden Bruce, Winston Cox and Wyatt Gregson.

In a 58-49 win against 3A Page High School, that team defense showed signs of life. The Sand Devils challenged opposing teams with a full court zone and trap defense, including Red Rock.

But the Scorpions were able to do the same. Double teams and traps led to pressure, anticipated steals and transition layups.

For Bain, it was a big win for the team.

“It was an amazing game to be honest,” Bain said. “The kids played really well. That’s a good Division 3 team we beat.”

Neither team scored for the opening six minutes of the first of two 20-minute, running clock halves. Red Rock opened an early 6-0 lead and was up 22-15 at halftime.

“We dominated them to be honest,” Bain said. “We were in control from start to finish.”

The second game of the tournament, the only loss, against Hopi High School on June 16, was much closer. Red Rock lost 43-42 when Hopi hit the last of three free throws with no time left on the clock at the end of overtime.

It trailed 20-14 at halftime, but tied the game three times before taking a 35-33 lead on two free throws by Cox.

“We didn’t really show up until the last 10 minutes,” Bain said. “It happens in the summer, but it better not happen in the winter.”

The Bruins then tied it at 37 during a stretch of a combined nine straight missed free throws before Gregson hit one to go up 38-37 with nine seconds left.

Hopi then made one of two free throws with four seconds left to send it to overtime. At the overtime buzzer another Bruin was fouled from beyond the arc, and missed the first two before sinking the third free throw to seal the win.

The Scorpions also beat 1A Williams High School 39-24, 3A Winslow High School 52-46 and Central Region rival Camp Verde 42-38.

Bain pointed out unrelenting pressure, largely in part by Landaverde among others, in the backcourt as a major factor in creating the faster pace and turnovers that he wants to see.

That faster pace forces quicker decisions from the rest of the defense as well as its opponent, which the team continued to work on during practice on Tuesday, June 20.

The team will take the floor at home when it hosts a tournament on July 15 and 16.