Cambridge breezes by Jaguars, 43-30
Led by Juan Manuel Salas' 21 points, and augmented by three three-pointers from seventh grade phenom Jose Ribera, the Cambridge boys varsity basketball team defeated Cooperative in the Knights home gym Thursday, 43-30.
The event that may have the biggest effect on the season, however, occurred at the end of the first half when veteran Knight forward Yosep Song collided in midair with Jaguar Pablo Taborga, fell awkwardly, and broke his right leg.
Taborga at the time was driving for a lay-up on a fast break and Song was running with him. The shot did not go in but Song committed a foul on the play.
When Song landed a loud crack could be heard throughout the coliseum. Song cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Coaches, players and most of the spectators rushed onto the court to surround the fallen athlete.
A impromptu splint was made with a piece of wood and borrowed elastic bandage. Song was carried by his coach, Victor Coronado, and others to the side of the court.
Song hospitalized until next week
An ambulance arrived after about fifteen minutes and Song, in obvious pain but quiet, was wheeled off to it on a gurney and taken to Clinica Niño Jesus.
He was reported to be in satisfactory condition Thursday evening, and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday morning. He will be in the hospital at least until next Tuesday.
Song, a senior, had been a starter for the past two years. He was not a spectacular scorer, but he was the team's best rebounder and had a knack for getting baskets when they were most needed.
His steady play was the glue that held together Cambridge's somewhat mercurial team both in last year's championship season, and its undefeated season so far this year. He will be missed.
Salas on a tear
Cambridge was leading 14-6 when Song went down, and Salas had accounted for eight of those points and Ribera had knocked down his first three-pointer to open the afternoon's scoring.
When play resumed Ribera threw in a second three-pointer, and then added a conventional two-point field goal. Cambridge led 19-8 at the half.
Salas really went on a tear at the beginning of the second half. scoring four straight baskets, most of them on fast breaks.
Cambridge senior Benjamin Ezpeleta was having an off day with his own shots, but managed some very adroit passes to Salas, who seemingly couldn't miss.
Salas made an especially remarkable effort on one of those feeds. To evade an attempted block the talented Cambridge junior pivoted to his left, away from the basket, and hooked in a swish.
Cooperative counterattacks
Cambridge led 30-16 at the end of the third quarter, and had extended its lead to 36-19 before a Cooperative counter-offensive scored seven points in less than a minute and a half to cut the Knights lead to 36-26. Taborga scored two baskets and Juan Abuawad shot a three-pointer.
The remainder of the game played out in more stable fashion, with each team scoring four points as the clock wound down through the closing minutes.
Salas finished with 21 points, Ribera with 11. Zhou Fua Zhou Zeng posted five points (including a three-pointer), while Ezpeleta, Hyun Sik Kang, and Tae Han Kook had a two-point basket each.
For Cooperative, Juan Peredo had nine points; Juan Abuawad had eight. Taborga ended up with seven. Milan Marinkovic and Diego Morales had three. Peredo, Abuawad, Taborga and Marinkovic all recorded three-pointers.
The win guarantees Cambridge at least a share of first place. Christian Learning could tie the Knights by beating Cambridge when the teams meet in the Cambridge gym next Thursday, and beating International when those teams meet Monday, April 11.
The game between Christian Learning and International was originally supposed to be played Thursday, but was postponed because of Christian Learning´s senior trip.
MEDICAL BULLETIN -- Cambridge player Yosep Song was operated on successfully Friday morning. Surgeons placed metal plates in his leg to hold the two broken bones in place. He was reported Sunday to be resting reasonably comfortably. The picture shows Song in his hospital room immediately after the game Thursday, surrounded by friends, teammates, and coaches. (Photo by Juan Manuel Salas, Cambridge.)
