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| Patterson topples Hilmar, remains undefeated at home |
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| Written by Marc Aceves / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 19 January 2008 | |
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Patterson’s boys basketball team refuses to lose at home this season, despite its recent trend of slow starts. The Tigers’ 47-39 win over visiting Hilmar on Tuesday extends their home unbeaten streak to five games, providing a bit more breathing room atop the Western Athletic Conference. Patterson is earning its stripes as a team whose best basketball is played in the second half. The Tigers lately have come out a tad sluggish in the opening quarter, limiting their shot selection and hurrying their passes. Tuesday was no different. “I think we really came out flat again, but we were able to wear on them a little bit more in the second half and put some pressure on them,” Patterson coach Tony Lomeli Jr. said. “It was our defense that really won this game.” The Tigers lately have relied heavily on a late fourth-quarter surge to close out the opposition. When the game is on the line, the defense inevitably buckles down and almost every loose ball and rebound seems to find its way into Patterson hands. “We’re more of a second-half team,” Patterson forward Robby Samano said. “I knew that we’d turn it up, and everyone’s comfortable knowing that we can come back.” Everything seemed to be clicking for the Tigers at the outset. They were scoring fast-break and transition buckets and hitting their free throws with enough consistency to put together a short-lived 8-2 advantage. It didn’t take long for Hilmar to answer, however. Yellowjackets guard Justin Rodrigues swished in the third of three straight Hilmar 3-point shots, capping an 11-0 run and giving his team a 21-12 edge. Hilmar controlled most of the second quarter. Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, their good fortune from the perimeter eventually summoned their own demise.  Patterson's Mitch Becerra puts up a 3-pointer during the first half of the Tigers' 47-39 win over the Hilmar Yellowjackets on Tuesday. Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator While Patterson struggled to find any kind of rhythm, Hilmar became enamored with the 3-pointer, continuing to attempt shot after shot from beyond the arch. Those 3-point shots, which had allowed Hilmar to open a lead on the Tigers, stopped dropping, as Patterson went into the break down, 26-19. “You’re in for a dogfight whenever you play these guys,” Lomeli said. “Hilmar plays everybody tough. They’re well-coached; they’re very disciplined; and when they’re knocking down their shots, they’re hard to beat.” The Tigers came out with a sense of urgency in the third quarter. Patterson’s Robert Krager hit a short jumper in the lane to ignite the offense. Samano followed with a midrange bucket from the wing. He then stole the ensuing inbounds pass, and quickly fed the ball to teammate Justin Nuckolls for two more. Suddenly, the Hilmar lead was down to three, and the Yellowjackets were forced to call a timeout. “We loosen up in the second half and start getting in our flow,” Samano said. “Things just start to happen, and you can’t stop it.” Hilmar continued to jack up numerous shots, but to no avail. Patterson’s defense tightened. When a Becerra 3-pointer ripped the twine with just a little more than a minute left in the third quarter, it became apparent that the Tigers had finally seized momentum of the game. Patterson took its first lead of the second half with about six minutes to play in regulation. Nuckolls’ put-back jump shot in traffic inched the Tigers ahead 35-33. He then took advantage of a Yellowjackets turnover, orchestrating a two-on-one fast break. The junior guard unconsciously pulled the string on a no-look pass to a cutting Samano for a reverse lay-in. “I was always taught to pass the ball first,” Nuckolls said. “Making flashy passes like that is just something I love.” Free throws kept things close all the way down the stretch, but it was Patterson that made the most of its late game chances. Coach Lomeli attributes this Tigers win in large, to the play of Samano. “A lot of credit has to go to Robby Samano,” Lomeli said. “He was the point guard of our defense tonight, and I think that he really helped win this game for us.” 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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