Overtime thriller!
Knight JV escapes alive from Eagles, 27-25
The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team got the scare of the season from a scrappy and determined Christian Learning team that forced the undeated Knights into overtime before finally succumbing 27-25 at the Eagles gym Tuesday .
The little Eagles sprang an innovative defense on the visitors, and came through with some clutch shooting that tied the game in the final second of regulation, and then had put the Eagles into the lead with only a little time showing on the clock in overtime.
But a shot in the final seconds by Cambridge eighth grader Andres Hurtado, a three-year veteran of the junior varsity wars, gave the Knights the win.
It was an impressive reversal of form for the Eagles, who had been beaten 42-17 in the first meeting between the two schools this season. The Knghts, in fact, had been beating everyone badly ths year. This was the first game in which they scored less than 35 points, or won by less than 26.
The key appeared to be a "diamond plus one" defense imposed on Cambridge by Christian Learning coach John Mann. In this set-up four of the players formed a 3-1 zone, while Cesar Flores tracked Cambridge star Jose Ribera around the floor like a Secret Service man shadowing the President of the United States.
The defense appeared to become increasingly effective as the game wore on. Although Christian Learning had jumped off to a 4-0 lead, Cambridge had steadied and taken a characteristic 10-4 lead by the end of the opening period, which the Knights stretched to 17-7 at the half.
The Eagles had held Ribera to only seven points in the opening half -- a low total for him -- but other Knights, including Alonso Terceros, Kevin Mendez, and Hurtado had stepped in to fill in the gap.
The Eagle defense tightened in the second half. The three players strung across the court at about the foul line stopped passes from going inside, and Cambridge's sharp-shooters, including Ribera, seemed to lose the coordinates of the basket.
When Ribera tried to compensate with some of his parented slashing runs to the basket, two (or more) Eagles collapsed on him like a pincers, blocking his path. Four or five times the Cambridge star had to pick hmself up off the floor.
Once erect, he went directly to the foul line, but was not hitting with his normal accuracy, and picked up only three points shooting fouls during regulation time. He had at least eight chances to score.
Christian Learning paid another price for its determined defense when Flores fouled out before the end of the game, but by then Ribera himself was showing acute signs of wear and tear.
Meanwhile, the Eagle shoorers were making their share of key buckets. The Eagles outscored Cambridge 8-1 in the fourth quarter, with Flores and Josiah Canaviri getting a basket each, and Haziel Martinez a pair, including the crucial score to tie the game at 20-20 after the Eagles inbounded the ball with only four seconds showing.
The thrills and chills continued into overtime. First Cambridge took the lead on a pair of foul shots by Ribera. Eagle Luis Doi tied the score with a set shot. Ribera returned the favor at the other end to give the Knights back the lead. Whereupon Richard Enns sank a three-pointer to put the Eagles ahead 25-24.
Various scoring efforts by both sides ensued before Hurtado took charge of the ball at the top of the key and pumped it into the basket to put Cambridge in front by a single point, which is how it ended at the buzzer.
Ribera got to shoot two foul shots after time had run out, and made one to make the final score 26-24.
For Cambridge, Ribera collected 15 points, Hurtado six, Terceros four and Mendez two.
For Christian Learning, Enns and Martinez each had seven and Flores six. Doi and Canaviri both had two points, and Damon Janzen had one.
Junior Jaguars outpoint Griffins, 18-12
The Cooperative boys junior varsity basketball team coasted to a relatively easy 18-12 win over International Tuesday in their home gym.
The Jaguars took a 6-1 lead in the first quarter, and held the same margin at the half, 7-1, after a relatively uneventful second quarter. They pushed that out to 14-5 at the end of the third quarter.
Matthew Delozier was the big gun for the Jaguars, with 10 points. Jose Mozza had four, and Josue Abuawad two. Two of Cooperative's the points could not be attributed.
For International, Claudo Santos had six, Joaquin Wray 3, Daniel Hanley two, and Jose Eduardo Coloma one.
