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Points in the paint lift Tigers to victory |
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Written by Marc Aceves / Patterson Irrigator
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Saturday, 05 January 2008 |
“I was looking for a guy to come off the bench and hit a big shot.”
— Tony Lomeli Jr.
Patterson basketball coach
When the shots are not dropping, good teams find a way to produce in the paint.
That was the case Thursday as Patterson edged out Orestimba to a final score of 54-47 at home. It was clear early on that both teams were going to struggle from the perimeter.
Play in the first quarter came at a furious pace. Both teams were plagued by several ill-advised fouls and momentum-stalling turnovers.
Both coaches went to their benches early and often, looking for a lineup that would produce some sort of cohesiveness.
“I was looking for a guy to come off the bench and hit a big shot,” Patterson coach Tony Lomeli Jr. said. “We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball well, but today just wasn’t our day.”
 FLYING: Patterson's Felix Mapanda leaps in front of Enochs' Marcus Bell at last week's Oakdale Tournament, while teammate Robert Krager anticpates a rebound. Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator
The Tigers began the third quarter with an aggressive focus on defense and a newfound commitment to the paint. Crisp second and third passes found their way through the Orestimba front court, helping Patterson finally churn out a consistent offensive threat. Orestimba had to take a timeout just minutes into the quarter, looking to come back with its own version of an inside game.
The break in the action resulted in an Orestimba run with both teams now trading buckets back and forth.
A rare Orestimba 3-point shot to end the third helped to further quell the momentum that Patterson had built, reducing the Tigers’ lead to 38-33 heading into the final quarter of play.
After an early fourth-quarter timeout, the Tigers appeared to settle down, pulling out a 47-37 lead, the result of a 10-0 run. The run was capped off by a Justin Nuckolls 3-point play with 38 seconds left in regulation that all but sealed the deal for the home team.
Recognizing that every team is going to have an off night from the field, coach Lomeli summed up the game by accentuating the positive.
“We weren’t able to hit our shots today, but we were still able to win, and that’s important,” Lomeli said. “Any win in league is a good win.”
(JV) PHS 56, Orestimba 50
The Patterson JV boys were able to stave off a late fourth-quarter comeback to hold onto a 56-50 win over Orestimba. The Tigers were led by the impressive guard play of Wesley Wells and Wyatt Young, who scored 19 and 15 points, respectively.
(F) PHS 72, Orestimba 49
The Patterson freshmen boys were also victorious, comfortably defeating Orestimba, 72-49. Granville Runderson led the Tigers with 22 points, 16 of which came in the first half.
PHS finishes second in tourney
Patterson finished second at the 38th Oakdale Rotary Holiday Classic, Dec. 26 through 29.
Clutch free-throw shooting in the waning seconds of the championship game gave Hughson High a 45-40 edge over the Tigers. Earlier wins against Riverbank High (54-37), Sonora High (44-43) and Enochs High (65-45) landed the Tigers a shot at the tournament title.
No Tiger finished in double-digits scoring in the final game, but forward Felix Mapanda did produce a solid nine points and 15 rebounds. Guard Daniel Reza also finished with nine points, while teammate Justin Nuckolls finished with six points, three steals and three assists.
To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at
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