By David Boldt
The Cambridge boys junior varsity basketball team poured in 18 points in the third quarter, including three three-pointers, to come from behind and defeat Cooperative 34-23 in a game played in the Cambridge gym Tuesday.
The win kept the Knights in first place with a 5-0 record.
The game had started out with the Jaguars in control, and the Knights playing badly. Neither team had a hot scoring hand in the first quarter, but Cooperative emerged on top 6-2. The Jaguars quickly lengthened their lead to 10-2, and then 12-4 in the early minutes of the second quarter.
Cooperative’s big forwards Luis Peredo, Eduardo Ustarez, and Alejandro Lema made good use of their superior size and played a hustling style of defense that kept Cambridge from penetrating inside. The Jaguars’ control of the rebounds virtually eliminated the fast breaks that have characterized the Knights’ play this season.
Even when they did get the ball inside the Cambridge players couldn’t seem to get it in the hoop. Twice in the first half the Knights had three chances to shoot from right under the basket – and missed all three.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, were working the ball well, and hitting with accuracy. Luis Peredo had seven points in the first half , and Eduardo Ustarez six-
A switch by Cambridge to a strategy of shooting from the outside seemed to be failing as well until the closing minutes of the first half when seventh grader Santiago Hurtado swished in a three- pointer, which was followed quickly by a successful set shot that made the score a more respectable 16-9. Another outside shot by Masa Ueno at the buzzer cut the Jaguar lead to 16-11 at halftime.
At halftime Knight Coach Victor Coronado apparently told his team something that made it appear that they had opened a fresh new can of Whip-It during the break. In just a little more than a minute into the second half they had tied the score at 16-all on another three-pointer by Hurtado – he would have a total of three in the game – and a breakaway lay-up by Masa Ueno following up on a stolen pass.
The Knights were now taking full advantage of their fuller bench – Cambridge had eleven players dressed for the game as opposed to eight for the Jaguars – and were playing an intense full-court press defense.
The Knights, who couldn’t seem to buy a basket during much of the first half, suddenly couldn’t miss from inside or outside, and prevented the Jaguars, who had been scoring steadily, from making a single field goal during the quarter. (The Jaguars did make two free throws.) Knight Percy Vidal hit a three-pointer demonstrating that Hurtado was not the Knights only outside threat.
By the end of the quarter the Knights were on top by 32 to 18. It was as dramatic a reversal of momentum as most basketball fans ever get to see.
Things cooled off in the fourth quarter with both teams showing signs of battle fatigue. Each scored a basket in the first five minutes of the final period, making the score 34-20, and at this point Coach Coronado cleared his bench and Cooperative Coach Seth Gibson did more or less the same .
In the final minutes the Jaguars got a free throw and a basket to make the final score 34-23.
For the Junior Knights, Hurtado had 13, including three three-pointers, Ueno 10, Vidal 5 with one three-pointer, Daniel Cortez 4, and Nando Boller 2.
For the Jaguars, Lema had nine, R. Chavez six, Raul Valle 3, Luis Peredo and Viacava 2, and S. Chavez 1.
Eagles Beat Griffins 33-18For the Junior Knights, Hurtado had 13, including three three-pointers, Ueno 10, Vidal 5 with one three-pointer, Daniel Cortez 4, and Nando Boller 2.
For the Jaguars, Lema had nine, R. Chavez six, Raul Valle 3, Luis Peredo and Viacava 2, and S. Chavez 1.
By Javiera Alipaz
On a hot, sunny afternoon just like any other, the Christian Learning Center
The game started with Eagle Luke Phillips smashing the jump ball into fellow teammate, Claudio Sandoval’s hands. Not a whole minute had even passed and the score was four to nothing, in favor of the Eagles. The first quarter was uneventful, with the score ending 6-4.
Jaime Barrenchea displayed amazing talent and skill in these first ten minutes of the first quarter. Barrenchea was one of the Griffins key players, scoring two of the four points for the Griffins in the first quarter.
Eagles and Griffins alike started to pick up their game in the second quarter. Phillips took charge and in a span of 25 seconds made two baskets. In order to retaliate, Griffin Jose Ojeda stormed to the baskte and gifted his team with two more points. With 6 minutes and 45 seconds left in the first half, the coaches called a time out. Only a minute later did Phillips score again. Eagle Regan Janzen also then scored, not even a whole minute after Phillips had just finished celebrating his own basket. What shook the spectators and players alike was Griffin Alex Fuentelzas. Only two minutes were left on the clock when he managed to score a three pointer. For the remaining two minutes, the score was static, settling into the final score for the first half at 15-10.
The third quarter started with a throw in by the Griffins. Once again, only 45 seconds had passed and Phillips tallied up another point. Following his own point by 39 seconds, Phillips attacked again. The third quarter had not been as eventful as the second, with the following point by Sandoval being two whole minutes after the last basket. Sadly, the Griffins could only manage two more points from a basket Barrenchea made in the 3rd quarter.
The fourth quarter arose some excitement. In the first minute, the Eagles amassed 3 more points. To everyone’s surprise, Griffin Alex Fuentelzas gifted his team with another three pointer. Consequently, the Eagles began working extra-hard and amassed a total of ten points, solely in the fourth quarter. Phillips, as well as teammates Andres Cruz and Abraham Lopez all contributed to their team’s ten point total. In disagreement with the Eagles-s ten points, the Griffins only managed six. Alfonso Justiniano contributed with 2 free throws, and Ojeda with a free throw of his own. With a final score of 33-18, both teams shook hands, ending their second to last game of the season before the championship starts.
