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| Patterson win keeps team atop the league |
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| Written by Marc Aceves / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Saturday, 12 January 2008 | |
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GUSTINE — It’s not so lonely at the top for the Patterson boys basketball team, especially when everyone is gunning to take out the squad.  Show Time: Patterson’s Ronyea Ellington leaps to the basket for an attempt at a slam dunk in front of Gustine’s Felix Figueroa toward the end of Tuesday’s game. Although Ellington’s first try was thwarted, a loose ball recovered for the next possession left him open to throw down a dunk in the final seconds of the game. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator The win keeps Patterson atop the Western Athletic Conference with a record of 3-0. Patterson forward Ronyea Ellington’s spectacular fast-break dunk officially slammed the door shut on Gustine, but it did not tell the whole tale. It took the Tigers most of the game to figure out how to match their defensive intensity with a consistent offensive attack. Even with Gustine breathing down their necks for much of the first three quarters, the Tigers remained consistently effective on defense, outhustling the Redskins to loose balls and rebounds. Sloppy ball-handling and defensive breakdowns kept the score close early on. With the game up for grabs, it became apparent that the final score would eventually go in favor of the team that could capitalize off of those squandered chances. The first half ended with the Tigers ahead 26-17. Patterson guard Mitch Becerra eventually jump-started the Tigers’ scoring. Becerra’s 3-ball to end the third quarter signified a change in direction for both the Tigers’ perimeter struggles and the Redskins’ hope for an upset.  For Two: Patterson’s Mitch Becera gets a shot off before Gustine defenders Ben Griset (left) and Clint Manzo close in on him. Becera ended the game with 11 second-half points to help the Tigers beat the Redskins, 58-42, on Tuesday in Gustine. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Fast-break opportunities off Redskins turnovers pushed the lead to 48-37. Patterson used a full-court press, making it that much harder for a quickly fading Gustine team to set up plays. The Patterson back court exchanged poor ball handling and contested jumpers for dribble penetration and multiple passes to the interior. The result was a more balanced offensive game that Gustine eventually had no answer for. With the Tigers smelling a victory and Gustine locked into full panic mode, Ellington picked off an errant Redskin pass, took the ball half the length of the court and elevated above the rim. He threw the ball down with a nasty one-handed slam as the final seconds expired. To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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